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Ever since I first saw Back to the Future as a kid, I've wanted to go back in time. Whether that was to relive the 90s as an adult instead of a child, or get a glimpse into the roaring 20s, I've always been fascinated with the past.
As a huge movie lover, up until now, I would relive previous decades through the eyes of some of the world's best directors. Whether it's heading back to the summer of 1922 with The Great Gatsby or reliving 1980's Manhattan with When Harry Met Sally, there's a movie for almost any time in history.
Now, thanks to ChatGPT and AI image generation, there's another way to get a snapshot of the past, and while it's very superficial, the trend is picking up steam on social media.
I decided to give the AI time machine a go and head back to 1955, just like my good pal Marty McFly. Here's what I learned.
The Booming 50s
To get ChatGPT to generate old imagery, you'll need to pick a decade or year and ask, "Can you show me an image of what it was like to live in X?" For this example, I chose 1955, just like the first Back to the Future movie.
Initially, ChatGPT generated an image of a stereotypical white family with two children, one girl and one boy. There was a black and white TV in the background, which is historically accurate, but it's hardly an intriguing image.
The best way to get the most out of ChatGPT's time machine is to start a conversation, opting for an initial period in history and then asking follow-up prompts.
I followed up my initial prompt with "I love going to the cinema, what would that experience have looked like?" ChatGPT knew I was still talking about 1955 and offered me an image of the outside of a cinema showing The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.
I was unfamiliar with The Quiet Man, so I did a quick search to learn that the film had its first screening in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1955. Spot on, ChatGPT.
I continued my conversation, wanting to know what fast food in the 50s looked like. I knew McDonald's was invented prior to 1950, but I had no idea what its restaurants looked like.
"What did a fast food burger restaurant look like?" I asked, to which ChatGPT gave me a shockingly accurate image of a 1950s McDonald's, including the half golden arch that was used back then.
Impressed by the accuracy, I followed up with, "What about a shopping mall?", ChatGPT imagined an indoor shopping area with a store called Penneys.
I had never heard of Penneys, but again, after some quick research, it turns out it's an Irish store in Dublin that is called Primark in the UK, and JCPenney in the United States.
Thinking back to the cinema, I realized, for whatever reason, ChatGPT was pulling information from Ireland and Northern Ireland. I decided to call it out.
"Why do you keep imagining life in Ireland?" I asked, to which AI replied, "Great catch — it does seem like some of those imagined details (like 'Penneys' instead of 'JCPenney') lean more Irish than American, which is a fun little mix-up on my part."
I decided my prompts were too vague, and I should give ChatGPT a little more help when it comes to imagining the 1955 I was dreaming about.
New York, New York
I love New York City, specifically any kind of movie set in the Big Apple. I decided to tell ChatGPT that I wanted to see "what it was like to live in 1955 in New York City." AI obliged.
The bustling New York streets looked pretty retro, although I'm not quite sure how I feel about the eerie faces on the New Yorkers caught in frame.
I followed up by asking for a glimpse at Katz's Diner, the iconic NYC diner famous for its incredible pastrami sandwiches and that famous scene where Meg Ryan, you know... Makes a lot of noise.
I had been to Katz's last year, and the image ChatGPT generated was pretty much how I expected it would've looked in the 50s. Funnily enough, even today it feels like you're stepping a foot into the past, so I wouldn't call AI's ability to recreate the decor impressive.
After my pastrami, I walked up Fifth Avenue, past the Plaza Hotel, and finished my 1950s trip to New York City in Central Park. All of the images generated by ChatGPT, while clearly produced by AI, were realistic enough to fulfill the purpose of giving me a snapshot into 1950s American life.
This AI trend is one that I definitely see the appeal of, although I think I prefer to relive the past through cinema, instead of static, procedurally generated imagery.