Searching for Loab

And failing. Miserably.

Hey, did you ever hear about the terrifying AI woman named Loab that started appearing in the images created a Twitter user a year or two ago? The woman used a negative prompt weight, and a strange looking woman with severe rosacea and a dismal aura started to appear again and again in her searches—even when she started to search for other stuff.

It’s honestly super creepy. And I also find it very fascinating.

Well, I’ve always wondered what would happen if I simply put her name in the search bar of an AI. And because Substack uses one, I think I’ll try it.

All the trigger warnings! She is creeeeepy and it will actually kind of freak me out if she shows up when I put her name in. (If you want to read more about her, click here to see the original Twitter thread that introduces her. But the images and story of her appearance are not of the faint of heart—I include a few of the less terrifying images her at the end for those who don’t want to click through.)

Anyway, I’m doing it, and I will post whatever comes up when I type her name.

Ready?

Loab

Okay, that was anitclimactic.

Let’s try a couple more:

Loab

Weird. (That time I made sure it was a photo and not a cartoon.)

Let’s try something else:

ai woman named Loab

Okay, now it just feels like the AI machine is being belligerent. There is no way AI doesn’t know who Loab is!

Okay, now I’m going to get as specific as I possibly can:

scary woman named Loab created by a twitter user

scary woman named Loab created by a twitter user

scary woman named Loab created by a twitter user

Okay. That’s a really good effort. It’s not Loab, but it is a scary woman in painted form.

Let’s try one more to see if we can get closer.

scary woman named Loab created by a twitter user

scary woman named Loab created by a twitter user

Okay. I have done it a bunch of times, and I’ve gotta say I’m really uncomfortable with the fact that when photographic, it’s never a white woman when I put those words in. (sometimes it is when a painting or a comic, like those above)

I’ll try one more, and then I’ll show you what Loab actually looks like.

scary woman named Loab created by a twitter user

Again. Not white. Boo. Fuck that. Seriously FUCK that. FUCK that those words lead AI, which is a compendium of our collective consciousness in a way, to always produce a non-white woman as “scary woman.” I find that to be so gross.

Anyway, this was an interesting AI experience, and it’s almost midnight so I better post this thing. But before I go, I’ll share one picture of the real Loab for those who didn’t want to click through to the actual Twitter thread:

Here is a few of the less terrifying images of her. Isn’t it creepy that she kept showing up again and again for this person?

K, this was fascinating, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m little bummed she didn’t appear.

But also, perhaps I’m glad?

*shivers*

Love,

Joshua