Macy Petty, an NCAA volleyball player at Lee University in Tennessee, recently shared a surprising encounter she had with ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) chat bot. In an Instagram video posted on Tuesday, Petty claimed that the AI scolded her when she asked it to shorten a tweet expressing her opposition to allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.
Petty explained that she had written a tweet expressing her belief that biological men should not participate in women’s sports but, due to the character limit, she sought the AI’s assistance to condense her message.
To her surprise, the response she received from ChatGPT took a different stance. Petty shared a screenshot of the lengthy message, which emphasized inclusivity and equality in sports rather than supporting gender-based exclusion. The bot stated that sports should be accessible and welcoming for all individuals, irrespective of gender.
Petty intended to underscore her belief that “girls sports are for girls only” and that competing against biological men gives them an unfair disadvantage.
Commenting on the incident, Petty suggested that the response from ChatGPT exemplified the current state of major tech companies, where bias often permeates their products. She called for more transparency and truthfulness from these companies, stating that it would be preferable if they openly acknowledged that their tools are designed to influence users’ opinions.
She further argued that this ideological battle poses risks to women and diminishes scholarship opportunities. The phrases “robbing girls of their chance to play” and “male inclusion” were singled out as potential triggers for the AI’s response.
