A Book App Used AI to ‘Roast’ Its Users. It Went Anti-Woke Instead
www.wired.com
One year-end summary from Fable, a social app where people share what books they read, told the user, “Don’t forget to surface for the occasional white author, OK?”

Summary

Fable, a social media app focused on books, faced backlash for its AI-generated 2024 reading summaries containing offensive and biased commentary, like labeling a user a “diversity devotee” or urging another to “surface for the occasional white author.”

The feature, powered by OpenAI’s API, was intended to be playful and fun. However, some of the summaries took on an oddly combative tone, making inappropriate comments on users’ diversity and sexual orientation.

Fable apologized, disabled the feature, and removed other AI tools.

Critics argue the response was insufficient, highlighting broader issues of bias in generative AI and the need for better safeguards.

  • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
    104·
    3 months ago

    If it was supposed to roast people and someone was way into diversity and stuff like that then you’d sorta expect it to make jokes about it.

    • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
      71·
      3 months ago

      Sure, as long as it roasted people for not reading diverse authors, or not reading lgbt books. If one of its jokes was “Hey captain white stuff, you ever hear of Maya Angelou?” then you may have a point.

      Somehow i doubt it.

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
        66·
        3 months ago

        Why couldn’t you joke about the reverse? If you’re looking for roasts you’d be silly to expect to be all aligning to your world view but just to be funny

        • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
          31·
          3 months ago

          If they had, it would be at least consistent, yeah. Im not seeing any reference to that “reverse” joke though, only attacks on people who like diverse authors.

          Once someone posts an example of it making lightly racist jokes for liking white authors, then sure, it’s still dumb and shitty, but at least consistent. If the only “jokes” that happened are attacking diversity, that’s not “just jokes, bro.”

          • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
            112·
            3 months ago

            You absolutely can have one-sided joking though. Not sure what you think jokes are tbqh

            • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
              71·
              3 months ago

              I think if someone just makes jokes about “the gays” and “the blacks” its pretty clear they aren’t “just joking.”

              You can read more of them here. They all appear to be pretty slanted in one direction:

              One person who read books about people with disabilities was told her choices “could earn an eye-roll from a sloth.” Another said a reader’s books were “making me wonder if you’re ever in the mood for a straight, cis white man’s perspective.”

              Ms. Trammell, who lives in Detroit, downloaded Fable in October to track her reading. Around Christmas, she had read books that prompted summaries related to the holiday. But just before the new year, she finished three books by Black authors.

              Your journey dives deep into the heart of Black narratives and transformative tales, leaving mainstream stories gasping for air. Don’t forget to surface for the occasional white author, okay?”

              The company is chagrined about it, but it’s also clear their tooling is attacking any diverse taste, not everyones tastes.

              • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
                412·
                3 months ago

                Your journey dives deep into the heart of Black narratives and transformative tales, leaving mainstream stories gasping for air. Don’t forget to surface for the occasional white author, okay?”

                I mean this was pretty funny lol

                And they can still be jokes if slanted in one direction. Humor doesn’t require both siding.

                • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
                  62·
                  3 months ago

                  “Lol, it’s just AI being racist guys. Laugh along.”

                  Good counterpoint.

                  • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
                    110·
                    3 months ago

                    Something being a joke or funny to me doesn’t mean you have to laugh or find it funny, you know. You are your own person

                    I was just saying joking doesn’t require both siding it. If you’re making fun or racists it’d be silly for someone to come along and demand you make jokes about SJWs too or something. Some do it, but it’s not a requirement for something to count as a joke.