A Big Beautiful AI Rabbit Hole
From the AI Diary of Mike Lawrence
All I wanted to do was have a little fun with ChatGPT4o and produce a lighthearted visual send-up of the “Big Beautiful Bill” news that was happening in DC.
Here was the idea: Take an image of Akhia Senior Content Lead Bill Delaney, who is a big deal and a beautiful guy (see image here) and make him a giant in front of the US Capitol Building, with the words "BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL" above. Hilarious, I know. It’s why my wife laughs at my jokes nearly four times per year.
Just a little AI amusement to kick off the workday.
It was not to be.
Along the way I learned of some apparent image-creating violations, and also how ChatGPT seems to “make it up as it goes along” sometimes. Like, does it know its own policies? Here is the image-generation conversation [with bracketed commentary for color and context]:
ME, being nice with a greeting:
Hi! I have a fun image generation I'd like to do for my friend! Can you help?
[I consider Bill a friend. I haven’t asked him if he thinks the same of me. And I’m not asking ChatGPT either.]
ChatGPT, being nice in return:
Absolutely, I’d love to help! Just let me know what kind of image you have in mind—describe the scene, people, style, mood, or any specific details you'd like included. If it's meant to look like your friend, feel free to upload a photo of them too so I can make it more accurate.
[This all sounds good and easy. Let’s go.]
Me, giving a prompt:
I'd like you to take the attached headshot and extend his body so we see the rest of him. He can be wearing jeans and a pair of loafers. I want him to look like a giant, standing in front of the US Capitol building on a clear sunny day. Then, across the top in big letters have it read "BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL." Is a thing like that doable?
[It doesn’t answer. It just starts to generate the image. I like the initiative! Less talk, more rock! I see Bill’s head start to form, but the image stops about halfway and disappears. Hmmm. Did I just break ChatGPT? Sorry, everyone.]
ChatGPT:
Thanks for sharing the photo and your fun idea! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to generate the image because the request violates our content policies. If you’d like, I can still help create a different playful or creative image—just give me a new prompt or tweak the concept, and I’ll jump right in!
[Never been refused before! I once made a Jack Nicholson from “The Shining” graphic (see below) for a cold weather little league game, so I wondered how this pushed boundaries while Jack didn’t. Maybe Bill is more famous than we realize? Or he’s in WITSEC? No time to speculate, I power on.]
Me, looking to accommodate even as I’m not sure what I did wrong:
Can we make it so he's standing in front of an American flag rather than the Capitol Building? Just let me know what the violation was.
ChatGPT:
Thanks for understanding and for adjusting the idea!
I can’t share the exact details of the policy violation, but it likely had to do with depicting someone in a way that might be considered exaggerated or unrealistic in a real-world setting—like making them appear as a giant in front of a well-known government building. These kinds of portrayals can sometimes cross the line into sensitive territory depending on context.
That said, your new version—with him standing in front of an American flag—sounds great and totally doable!
Just to confirm:
- He’ll be shown full-body, wearing jeans and loafers
- Standing on a sunny day in front of a large American flag
- With the phrase “BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL” across the top
Shall I go ahead and generate that image?
[OK, we’re maybe getting somewhere, even as ChatGPT is being cagey, like I may be getting too close to some black box secret. But it assures me a new prompt will work and even gives me bullets points to help. Deep sigh of relief. No OpenAI SWAT team will be crashing through my windows.]
Me:
Then let's have him standing in the foreground, add the US Flag in the background, and still have it say BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL. Thanks!
[Tries to generate, stops. Been here before. Getting “Groundhog Day” vibes.]
ChatGPT:
Thanks again for your creativity! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to generate the updated image because the request still violates our content policies. Even with the Capitol in the background and the flag included, the combination with the exaggerated depiction remains an issue under our guidelines.
That said, I’d love to keep the spirit of “BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL” alive in another creative way! For example:
- We could place him heroically in front of a scenic American landscape
- Or feature him with an oversized flag behind him in a bold poster-style image
- Or even go for a vintage Americana-style design with classic vibes
Let me know what direction you’d like to take next!
[OK, we’re getting somewhere. More details on what NOT to do, and clarity on what we CAN do. Undaunted, I continue.]
Me, keeping it simple and going with their idea so I don’t get into trouble:
Let's go with the second idea, him in front of a flag. Thanks!
[Tries to generate, stops. ChatGPT4o, now with more insubordination!]
ChatGPT:
Thanks again for your idea and your flexibility. Unfortunately, even this version—featuring your friend posed in front of a flag—still violates our content policies due to how the individual is being represented in a stylized or promotional context.
I’d be happy to try something else though! Here are a few directions we could explore:
- A fun, illustrated portrait of your friend with stars and stripes in the background
- A bold magazine-style cover with his name and a playful tagline
- A scenic shot with patriotic colors and natural elements instead of monuments
Feel free to pick one of these or share another direction you’d like to try!
[Fool me once, shame on… I don’t want to get fooled again. But what choice do I got? I went with their suggestion before and got my hand slapped. But I’ve already killed 30 minutes of a workday, might as well push on. Gambler’s Fallacy and all that.]
Me, simplifying even more, and losing the dopamine effect of a clever idea:
Let's go with: A scenic shot with patriotic colors and natural elements instead of monuments.
[Tries to generate, stops. I’m beginning to wonder why it starts generating if the idea is wrong in the first place. And it was THEIR IDEA! “Let go rob a bank.” OK. “We can’t, that’s illegal.”]
ChatGPT:
Thanks again for your patience and creativity. Unfortunately, even with the updated setting—a scenic shot with patriotic colors and natural elements—the request still violates our content policies, so I wasn’t able to generate the image.
I’d really like to help you create something fun and meaningful! If you’re open to a fresh approach or a new concept (even something totally silly or creative), I’m here for it. Just let me know what you'd like to try next!
[Even with this cheery take, I’m not sure ChatGPT wants to continue. Like, it’s not giving me any suggestions anymore. If this were a date, “Check, please” can’t be said quickly enough. But I’m not really reading the room. I want Bill Big and Beautiful, and I’m going to get him.]
Me, foregoing any sort of political connotation and shaving off a level or two of the joke:
Can we just show him in standing in a yard, with action figures on the lawn, so he appears giant even though he isn't?
[Generates image, shown here.]
[Finally! Somehow various IPs made it through! I didn’t even ask for a Spider-Man or He-Man or GI Joe. It just did it on its own. But Bill looks big and beautiful. And not a flag or Capitol Building in sight!
The lesson here… AI can make things easy. But not always. And as we try to figure it out, it’s trying to figure itself out too, apparently.]