SandwichesofHistory is a fantastic TikTok account which showcases creator Barry Enderwick making sandwiches from different time periods and countries. Yes, it is as niche as it sounds.
What’s more? He has started using ChatGPT to come up with new ideas for his sandwich content. Now entitled “AI Fridays”, the weekly content features Enderwick posting sandwich recipes generated by ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence-driven chatbot that has captivated the internet’s attention since its release last year. At first, he wasn’t sure what the software would come up with. But his first sandwich included eggs, avocado and chocolate spread — a combination that he said was surprisingly delicious.
“I wanted something unique,” Enderwick, who has a background in digital marketing, said of how he came up with the idea. “So, I’d say, ‘write me an unusual sandwich recipe’ and that led to the sandwiches that I’ve gotten so far. … For me, the goal is to generate something that’s not totally available already but also not something that’s just beyond the pale.”
ChatGPT and AI in general is a controversial topic. Even Elon Musk thinks things are moving too quickly for consumers (check our earlier blog from this week for more information on that). 38% of Americans said they were more concerned than excited about more AI in their daily lives, according to a study from the Pew Research Center in December. Only 15% said they were more excited than concerned.
For creators however, making content surrounding ChatGPT provides a likely chance of virality giving its controversial positioning. Take TikToker Bryan Hartlett as a recent example. He used ChatGPT to write a scarily accurate Gilmore Girls script and unsurprisingly fans of the show were so gagged and gobsmacked that the content has seen many likes, comments and shares.
Hartlett has a simple strategy when it comes to making the videos: He feeds detailed descriptions of the characters and desired scenes into ChatGPT and uses the dialogue written by the AI with photos and recorded voiceovers to bring the scene to life.
“If you were to just type into ChatGPT ‘write me an original Friday night dinner scene for an episode of “Gilmore Girls,’ it will definitely spit out a conversation, but it’s only part of the way there,” he said. “It has the characters and the settings, but the humour isn’t quite there.”
It took time to develop each character’s voice and understand how to create the same tone and fast-paced humour fans loved, Hartlett said. Eventually, he figured it out — and has since produced 14 AI-generated episodes.
As ChatGPT evolves and becomes less of a hot topic it will be interesting to see whether creators continue to use the tech as a tool.
