In The Crosshairs: ChatGPT Roasts St. George

I've actually never understood the type of person that puts up a picture of themselves online and says, "Roast me."

If I wanted hurtful insults hurled my way, I'd just ask my brother what he thinks of my choice of outfits.

But when a colleague suggested we have Artificial Intelligence roast my hometown --- St. George, Utah -- I admit I was a little intrigued.

So I went to the biggest AI out there -- ChatGPT.com -- and asked it to do this: "You are a comedian doing a roast of St. George, Utah," and then hit go.

Here's what it came up with (note, it's kind of funny and not hurtful at all):

• Hey everyone, let's talk about St. George! I gotta say, it's a charming town. You know, the kind of place where “wildlife” means a squirrel with a slightly aggressive personality.
• I went to St. George, and the town’s motto should be “Come for the scenery, stay because you forgot to pack sunscreen.” Seriously, I haven't seen that much desert since the last time I forgot to water my houseplants.
• You know you’re in St. George when the local high school’s mascot is a tumbleweed. That’s right, folks, nothing says school spirit like rolling with the wind!
• St. George is so laid-back, even the tumbleweeds move at a leisurely pace. I saw one roll by and thought, “Wow, even the local vegetation is on vacation!”
• It’s a beautiful place, though. I mean, where else can you experience four seasons in a single day: hot, hotter, still hot, and oh, is it nighttime already?
• The local wildlife is so rare that if you see a rabbit, it’s like spotting a unicorn. And when the city’s got a traffic jam, it’s usually just a group of ducks deciding whether or not to cross the road.
• But in all seriousness, St. George is a great town. It’s like one big family where everyone’s really, really into hiking. Seriously, if you don’t own a pair of hiking boots, do you even live in St. George?
• And I hear the town's claim to fame is that they have more golf courses than people. Nothing says “we love our golf” like turning every free space into a putting green!
• So, let’s raise a toast to St. George: the place where the air is dry, the spirits are high, and the only thing hotter than the weather is the local gossip!

A couple of those are pretty darn funny ("a squirrel with a slightly aggressive personality.").

And the "insults" are actually pretty close to being true.