As technology advances, there’s a growing concern that AI might replace human creativity. From generating music to designing websites, there are a plethora of tasks that AI can do pretty well nowadays. But can it replace human knitwear designers? We decided to put this to the test using ChatGPT, the most advanced AI available today by Open AI, a company currently valued at $29 billion (yes, you read that right).
As a test, we ChatGPT the following task:
“Create a pattern for a scarf that has a large 2-color hounds-tooth pattern using worsted weight yarn. The colors should be black and white, and it should be about 12 inches wide.”
Here was the response:
Materials:
Worsted weight yarn in black and white
US size 8 (5mm) knitting needles
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
Gauge:
20 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Finished measurements:
Width: 12 inches
Length: approximately 60 inches
Pattern:
With black yarn, cast on 60 stitches.
Row 1: Knit all stitches.
Row 2: Purl all stitches.
Row 3: Knit all stitches.
Row 4: *With white yarn, knit 2 stitches, with black yarn, knit 2 stitches; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 5: *With white yarn, knit 2 stitches, with black yarn, knit 2 stitches; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 6: *With black yarn, knit 2 stitches, with white yarn, knit 2 stitches; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 7: *With black yarn, knit 2 stitches, with white yarn, knit 2 stitches; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 8: Repeat Row 4.
Repeat Rows 5-8 until scarf measures approximately 60 inches in length, ending with Row 5.
Bind off all stitches in pattern. Weave in ends.
We sent this to our resident knitwear designer and pattern expert, Sue, for an evaluation. Her response was, “Are you trying to replace me with a bot?” “Let’s see if I can” I joked.
Hey Bruce, play a song for us
While Sue was doing her forensics, I thought I’d further test ChatGPT’s creativity by asking it to write a song (lyric) about a knitwear designer replaced by a bot. And to get the right “the-old-mill-is-shutting-down” feel to the song, we asked for the song to be written in the style of Bruce Springsteen (whose hometown is, incidentally, just minutes away from our office). Here’s what came back:
Verse 1:
She’s got needles in her hand, and a pattern in her head
She’s a knitwear designer, and she’s got skills to spread
But now the times are changing, and it’s getting hard to keep
Cause there’s a bot that’s taking over, and it doesn’t need to sleep
Chorus:
Oh, she’s out of luck, and she’s out of time
Her skills are no longer worth a dime
They say the future’s here, and it’s AI
But she’s a woman, and she’s got to try
Verse 2:
She used to be the one, to bring warmth into our lives
With sweaters and with scarves, she made us feel alive
But now the bot is faster, and it doesn’t need to rest
And all the patterns that she knows, the bot knows them best
Bridge:
She won’t go down without a fight
She’ll knit until the morning light
Her hands may ache, her eyes may blur
But she won’t let the bot conquer her
Chorus:
Oh, she’s out of luck, and she’s out of time
Her skills are no longer worth a dime
They say the future’s here, and it’s AI
But she’s a woman, and she’s got to try
Outro:
She’s a knitwear designer, and she’s here to stay
No bot can replace her, no matter what they say
She’ll keep on knitting, until her fingers bleed
Cause she’s a woman, and she’s got what we need.
The verdict
Bruce-AI is quite depressing and hopeful at the same time! A half-decent parody, to say the least. (And somehow, the AI assumed the designer had to be a woman). However, is this the fate of knitwear designers going forward?
Well, fortunately not, for now.
The next morning, Sue came to the office with two images generated by her design tool (she had to use an ample amount of goodwill to interpret the AI pattern). These images showcased the difference between a hounds-tooth pattern created by ChatGPT and a pattern created by Sue, our very human designer.
As you can see, one of them isn’t a houndstooth pattern at all! So, lo and behold, the AI failed miserably. Seems like Bruce will have to shelve that song. At least this week.
Ps. the image in the header was created by Dall-E, another AI tool from OpenAI. We simply asked it to “create a photo of a robot knitting a sweater.” Well, at least there’s reason to believe the stock-photo industry is doomed.
