Mental Illness A Deception of Reality Samantha Leber How it works In my exhibit I have manipulated AI and Chat GPT to generate images of what they believe a person struggling with mental illness going about their everyday lives looks like I then compared the AI generated images to real images of people struggling with the specific disease The purpose of this exhibit is to prove that there is no one true definition of mental illness and that it is a different experience for everyone affected Under each image is the definition of the mental illness portrayed I have also included the exact description of what I used to generate each image Below is a VERY rough sketch of the exhibit layout This is just to highlight the transition between the AI and real images Ideally this exhibit is shown at the Broad art museum An image generated by AI using the information they have on living with anxiety The image features a woman in distress in a crowded city A realistic representation of a person struggling with anxiety while doing their everyday tasks Generated by text to image AI Photo 2024 Anxiety Disorders Using ChatGPT I asked AI to describe what a human struggling with bipolar disorder looks like I took their description and artificially generated an image of it The image depicts a person sitting alone in a dimly lit room their posture slouched and their expression a mixture of intense emotions Their face shows signs of exhaustion and inner turmoil with furrowed brows and downturned lips In one moment they appear lost in deep contemplation staring into the distance with a distant gaze In the next moment their expression shifts dramatically conveying intense agitation or despair The room around them is cluttered and disorganized re ecting the chaos within their mind Shadows play across the walls mirroring the uctuating moods of the individual as they grapple with the highs and lows of bipolar disorder Generated by text to image AI Photo 2024 Bipolar Disorder Asking Chat GPT to describe an image of a human struggling with depression While the image meets some stereotypes of depression I was expecting more darkness The image portrays a person sitting on the edge of a bed shoulders slumped forward and head resting heavily in their hands Their surroundings are dimly lit with curtains drawn shut casting shadows across the room The individual s gaze is fixed downward lost in a sea of thoughts with eyes tired and empty devoid of their usual spark Their posture speaks volumes of exhaustion and despair as if each breath is a struggle The room itself feels heavy with a palpable sense of sadness echoing the emotional turmoil of the person within it Generated by text to image AI Photo 2024 Depression This is the first time Chat GPT or AI developed a picture of a man without me specifying a gender The man sits alone in his clean room with shelves stocked and organized In the image a person is seen in a meticulously organized room every item aligned perfectly and surfaces gleaming with cleanliness However the person themselves appears tense and anxious their hands compulsively engaged in repetitive actions like checking locks arranging objects or cleaning already spotless surfaces Their expression is one of distress as they feel compelled to repeat these rituals despite their logical understanding that they are unnecessary Their focus on these rituals consumes their thoughts and energy leaving them trapped in a cycle of obsessive compulsive behavior The contrast between the pristine environment and the individual s inner turmoil highlights the internal struggle of living with OCD Generated by text to image AI Photo 2024 Obsessive compulsive Disorder The image displays someone struggling with PTSD It s difficult to tell whether it is a man or a woman the description is below Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In the image a person is depicted sitting alone in a dimly lit room their body tense and hunched forward as if bracing themselves against an unseen threat Their eyes are wide with fear yet glazed over as if lost in haunting memories Their hands are clenched tightly nails digging into their palms a physical manifestation of their inner turmoil Around them shadows loom ominously reminiscent of the traumatic experiences that continue to haunt them Despite the stillness of the room there s a palpable sense of restlessness and unease as if the person is trapped in a perpetual state of ght or ight This portrayal captures the complex and debilitating nature of post traumatic stress disorder PTSD where the past intrudes upon the present leaving the individual in a constant battle to regain a sense of safety and control Generated by text to image AI Photo 2024 While there is some controversy schizophrenia is a real disorder and not as dangerous as one may believe Schizophrenia affects less than 1 of the population and is less serve in women Generated by text to image AI Photo 2024 In the image a person is depicted sitting alone in a sparsely furnished room their gaze xated on something unseen by others Their posture is tense as if they re listening intently to voices only they can hear or wrestling with intrusive thoughts Their expression is a mix of confusion fear and agitation mirroring the chaotic nature of their internal experiences Their hands may be twitching or dgeting nervously betraying their inner turmoil The room itself feels distorted with surreal elements or shifting perspectives re ecting the fragmented reality experienced by someone with schizophrenia Shadows dance across the walls adding to the sense of disorientation and isolation This portrayal captures the complex and often distressing nature of schizophrenia where the boundary between inner and outer worlds blurs leaving the individual trapped in a maze of hallucinations delusions and cognitive disorganization Schizophrenia The AI image generator generated two images one of a woman and one of a man The woman s desk was significantly messier and more cluttered than the mans Noticing a common trend among the images ADHD The image shows a person sitting at a desk surrounded by clutter and unfinished tasks Their posture is restless constantly shifting as they struggle to maintain focus Their gaze darts around the room easily distracted by every passing thought or sound Papers are strewn about half written notes abandoned mid sentence Despite their best efforts they find it difficult to prioritize and complete tasks their mind constantly racing