After 3 months of fantastic interviews, I decided to see what ChatGPT would answer if we gave it the first interviews as input and asked it to be creative. I was really curious about the biases it would propagate and how much recency would affect it.
The result didn't surprise me, giving much more weight to specific entities mentioned in the interviews (Nairobi, Hong Kong, ...) and more recent interviews. In the end, it behaves pretty human-like: sticking to details and recency.
I started with a simple prompt:
"Considering the first 8 interviews, put on your creative hat and act as the new interviewee of the Lovelace Series to answer all these 10 questions: Q1) Background: Can you share a bit about your background and your current role?
Q2) Journey: How did you first become interested in technology, and what led you to your current role?
Q3) Challenges: What main challenges have you faced in your career, and how have you overcome them?
Q4) Support: Who or what has been the most significant influence or support in your tech journey?
Q5) Diversity: How have you seen diversity and inclusion evolve in the tech industry throughout your career?
Q6) Work-life balance: How do you manage the work-life balance in the tech industry?
Q7) Skills: What skills do you believe are most important in today's tech world?
Q8) Impact: Can you share a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career?
Q9) Future: What are your future goals, and where do you see the tech industry heading in the next few years?
Q10) Advice: What advice would you give to other women considering a career in tech?
Be inspired by these 8 amazing women and create someone who will be interviewed."
ChatGPT came up with Clara Nebula. I decided to move on with it and have a conversation with Clara, having ChatGPT fill the gaps in her personality. Ultimately, we had a pretty clear background, motivation, and answers to the questions.
I took a step forward and asked, considering what we know, what assumptions would it make for Clara's physical appearance so I could generate a Midjourney photorealistic version of Clara. The result is the image above and the interview that follows.
Q) Can you share a bit about your background and your current role?
Hey there! I'm Clara, a girl who grew up in the lively streets of Nairobi but got the chance to study tech in some incredible places in Europe and Asia. I'm juggling many roles at GlobalTech Nexus, where I'm lucky enough to work with some super bright folks on AI, cloud stuff, and green tech.
Q) How did you first become interested in technology, and what led you to your current role?
So, my love story with tech? It started super young. Picture this: a little girl in Nairobi, always messing with the family's gadgets. I was that kid who broke stuff but also fixed it (most of the time!).
Fast forward to a summer gig in Amsterdam, and bam! I dove headfirst into the world of cloud computing. It was like finding out your favorite hobby could be your job.
Q) What main challenges have you faced in your career, and how have you overcome them?
Oh boy, where do I start? Shifting from regular engineering to the wild world of tech felt like learning to ride a bike all over again but on a rocky mountain. From those sneaky feelings of self-doubt (hello, imposter syndrome) to figuring out how tech works in different parts of the world, it's been one roller-coaster.
But hey, every stumble taught me something new, and I wouldn't trade those lessons for anything.
Q) Who or what has been the most significant influence or support in your tech journey?
My tech journey? It's like a group project. I've had some fantastic mentors, from the tech wizards in Hong Kong to the passionate folks back home in Nairobi. Their advice, pep talks, and sometimes just lending an ear have been my guiding light.
Q) How have you seen diversity and inclusion evolve in the tech industry throughout your career?
The tech scene's changing, and it's exciting! From being the only girl in the room to seeing so many diverse faces around, it's been a heartwarming shift. But we've still got miles to go. I'm doing my bit, ensuring our tech speaks to everyone, regardless of where they come from.
Q) How do you manage the work-life balance in the tech industry?
It's not all codes and keyboards. I make sure to hit the pause button. Weekends? Those are for hiking, chilling without any screens, and soaking up tech cultures from around the world. It's funny how stepping back a bit often gives me the best ideas.
Q) What skills are most important in today's tech world?
Okay, so tech's not just about being a coding ninja. It's also about understanding people. Being able to adapt, really listen to what's being said (and what's not), and always being hungry to learn more - that's the secret sauce.
Q) Can you share a project or accomplishment you consider the most significant in your career?
One project that's super close to my heart? We built this AI-powered system for remote places, blending the latest tech with traditional ways of life. Imagine bringing clean water and sustainable energy to places that never had it before. It was challenging, but seeing the smiles and the difference we made? Pure gold.
Q) What are your future goals, and where do you see the tech industry heading in the next few years?
Looking ahead, I dream of a world where tech, nature, and people all work together. I want to be right there, leading the charge, making tech that's kinder to our planet. And while I'm at it, I hope to inspire and guide the next bunch of tech enthusiasts. There's so much out there waiting to be discovered!
Q) What advice would you give other women considering a tech career?
To all the remarkable women thinking of diving into tech: Your story and experiences are your superpowers. Dive into challenges, find mentors, stay curious, and remember your voice matters in the vast world of tech. Make it heard!
Is it just me, or does this feel strange? It felt like I was interviewing someone for Miss Universe (even before the picture)... the pre-packaged ideal answers, the buzzwords and all. Quite creepy and too perfect!
Another alarming point was when I asked to generate a prompt based on our conversation to describe Clara. It culminated with the following description:
"Clara Nebula, medium height of 5'6", athletic build, warm caramel skin tone, oval face with high cheekbones and freckles, deep brown eyes behind chic round glasses, thick coily dark brown hair with colorful beads, dressed in high-waisted jeans, graphic tee, earth-toned blazer, sneakers, silver cloud pendant necklace, smartwatch and beaded bracelets."
I asked every detail why it selected that. Africa roots, then it goes for "warm caramel". When I asked why not black if Africa is the primary driver? It shared that this person had Asian roots... hummm... ok
Why high cheekbones? Does it matter? And why freckles in someone from Africa? ChatGPT apologized.
Why athletic? In the background conversation, Clara likes to go hiking every weekend. Okay, that makes sense.
But still, the answers, expectations, and even physical appearance put me off-guard. This feels "too perfect". This matches the reality and expectations I've seen society imposing on women, and they end up imposing it on themselves.
A big part of mentoring WomenInTech has been related to Imposter Syndrome. It has been a constant battle of self-compassion, telling them why they are so harsh against themselves.
There is nothing wrong with Clara or anyone that pushes themselves to be perfect. I just wish the world would treat you in a way that you don't need to be a technical wizard with a perfect smile, supermodel body, and high cheekbones that want to change the world.
But when you grow up seeing mediocre white males succeeding while fantastic women quit Tech because they lack support, you start to realize how tricky it is women's uphill battle. The bar for successful women is higher, and plenty of women still reach and exceed it.
I hope that the following editions of the Lovelace Series continue to showcase women's importance in the Tech industry, independent of the country, origin, beliefs, and whatnot.
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