People asked AI for crochet patterns and the results are disturbing on so many levels

Since its launch in 2022, ChatGPT has amazed people with its capabilities, from writing human-like verses to creating art and recipes. The latest realm where AI is gaining popularity is crochet. Traditionally, crochet is seen as a labor of love, requiring a lot of handiwork. Now, people are asking AI for patterns and design suggestions, with hilarious results. Crochet designer Marina Russo shared these amusing outcomes on her YouTube channel, Bloodimaryart Crochet.

To see if AI could replace crochet pattern designers, Russo asked AI to create a pattern for a crochet top with very specific instructions. She first asked, "What are the benefits of AI in crochet designs?" The AI responded with several points, such as providing endless inspiration by generating diverse designs, motifs, and patterns based on input prompts. It also highlighted benefits like streamlining the design process and coming up with unexpected, unconventional design concepts that human designers might not consider.

The crochet designer shared a picture of a five-legged crochet elephant designed by AI and questioned if that is what it meant by unconventional designs. The AI also said it could help with "personalization and customization" by designing patterns that fit an individual's preferences. It further claimed to be able to correct designs and promote the exchange of ideas among crochet enthusiasts. Next, the designer gave ChatGPT specific instructions to create a crochet pattern for a top. "Create a crochet top with bra cups and adjustable straps," Russo instructed the program to be as precise as possible in terms of sizing and then shared her size. She also asked for step-by-step instructions and asked to change the yarn at her convenience.

She also made a few more tweaks and then got to work crocheting the pattern. She shared the outcome and there were quite a few flaws in the design. The designer had to figure out how to attach the straps by herself and improvise. "As you can see, this top is too large and it is not flattering at all," Russo pointed out. She also tried another way to tie the straps but ended up deeming the project a big failure.

Meanwhile, another crochet designer, Cat Kemble, pointed out flaws in how the program suggests designs on her YouTube channel. Kemble asked for a pattern for baby booties. Although things started alright, there were flaws in the instructions. The sole would come out way smaller than she wanted it to be. The designer tweaked it a little by herself to get a better outcome. At one point, Kemble understood that if she continued with the instructions, she would end up with something flat instead of booties. She gave up on it and generated a pattern for a hat instead and the result was disturbing.

She didn't specify that it should be a baby hat, but the program came up with a pattern for the same anyway. It started out promising as a little baret. But then the circumference kept decreasing, going inside, making it look like a weird pouch or purse with a small opening that probably wouldn't even fit a developing fetus's head. As it turns out, this one is also a failure. Even with such disappointments by AI, people are still trying to come up with patterns and tweaks to make crochet pattern generation work. However, whether it can replace human designers is a question that only time will answer. 

You can follow Marina Russo and Cat Kemble on YouTube to learn more about crochet.