I asked ChatGPT to generate images of a bagpipe. Disappointingly (but predictably) it chose a tartan covered approximation of a Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe.

Analogous to asking for a picture of "food" and getting a Big Mac and fries.

So I asked it for a non-Scottish pipe. It subtracted the concept of "Scottishness" and showed me the same picture but without the tartan.

Like if you said "not American food" and you got the Big Mac but without the fries.

And then pipes from round the world. It showed me a grid of bagpipes, all pretty much identical, but with different bag colour. And the names of some made-up countries.

Analogous "Food of the world". All hamburgers with different coloured fries.

Fascinating but disappointing. I'm sure there are many such examples. I can see AI-generated images chipping away at more cultural erasure.

Interestingly, ChatGPT does know about other kinds of pipes textually.