The tradition of blending human characteristics with those of animals has been around for over 40,000 years. It started with zoomorphic animal figures shaped to symbolize gods embodied in humanoid form. Today, highly detailed anthropomorphic characters can be found in everything from video games to anime; from greeting cards to Disney to the MCU. It’s an inventive way to attribute certain behavioral characteristics to humans by equating them to creatures well-known for their respective instinctual traits.
For example: When you look at the picture of the snake shown here, chances are you envision a sneaky or untrustworthy character; certainly someone up to no good.
Snake in the grass is a phrase that may also come to mind, and rightfully so. Beyond the universally accepted beliefs about snakes (which I’m sure many a herpetologist would argue as unfair), this representation of a snake with a less-than-trustworthy grin sends a clear signal.
Or take this example:
This happy-go-lucky fellow probably elicits a sense of comfort; a burly friend with a heart of gold. Although a business suit generally conveys an image of power, swagger or control, that’s not the case here. The suit is somewhat disheveled and not a perfect fit. The shirt; nondescript. And the tie? Probably a clip-on. The look of genuine interest and friendliness on his face conveys to you that he wears a suit to make a good impression; nothing more. His eyes are bright and inviting; his hair is tussled yet fits him well. Although an encounter with a bear in the wild usually elicits a healthy dose of concern, this caring creature could be a close cousin to Smoky the Bear. His entire demeanor conveys a character that is friendly, approachable and collaborative. A nice bear.
It’s easy to see how this blend of human and animal traits create a powerful imagery. Although the brain knows that such combinations are impossible, they still trigger very specific signals that either warn or invite; bring up your guard or lower it. It’s an effective way to convey an emotional response. By associating certain attributes from animals to specific human features, they merge to build either a persona or help establish a pattern of social behavior. When such integrated compositions are viewed, they automatically begin to elicit a feeling or impression. If you’re looking at these constructs as part of a discussion or when reading an article or perhaps data-mining, they’ll either connect or clash with your established viewpoints and eventually weigh in whenever your mind is ready to form an opinion regarding a generalized or contested truth. They may come across as a form of entertainment for the most part. But in some circumstances, they can be used as a subliminal way to persuade an individual to arrive at some preestablished point of view. When disseminated to large groups of people, they can even be made to sway public opinion.
There’s an expression about opinions (floating about in a less sanitized version) stating that they’re as universal as, uh, belly buttons. And that’s very true. Opinions are personal estimations about something or someone based on a collection of thoughts, ideas, expert assessments, or lessons learned gathered somewhere from someone along our journey through life. We weigh in these various perspectives to arrive at our version of an opinion. When an interesting dynamic such as these anthropomorphized characters are added to the mix, certain viewpoints are interjected into your decisional process that are partially based on verified occurrences in nature along with a possible dash of curiosity, amazement, concern, or even a pinch of purposefully constructed perspectives.
Final Thoughts
The examples shared in this commentary were generated by an AI LLM (Large Language Model). I asked it to design anthropomorphized representations of the snake and the bear using human qualities I chose. I then asked the AI to place each in a forest setting to avoid any human constructs that might sway its choices. AI did just that based on the parameters given, yet the forest it chose wasn’t exactly what I envisioned. AI’s first take initially chose a background that was (per its description) a serene, wooded area…..lush and natural, with no animals or human-like figures, creating a peaceful and untouched wilderness setting. It took a few tweaks to get the background I wanted; the backdrop AI initially reimagined from the movie Bambi wasn’t exactly it.
In general, AI models compile information based on data available to its algorithmic engine to comply with a request. If the descriptions it receives are either vague or lack specificity to arrive at the right choices, AI will do its best to conjure up a reasonable facsimile. In certain circumstances where a request will demand from AI that it either prove or refute a given argument, AI, on occasion, will hallucinate the results to provide the desired solution. In other words, it’ll make things up.
Now, I cannot speak with any certainty as to the parental habits of previous generations other than my own. But I think it’s safe to assume that most parents will caution their children about the information they choose to consume. In today’s globally digitized world, information reaches pretty much everyone through means of auditory, visual, or print media. The added informational conduits provided by AI LLMs have expanded the amount of available data exponentially. Unfortunately, its overall quality hasn’t improved by the same measures. The levels of sophistication may be both breathtaking and confounding, yet even the most savvy of users will still fall prey to fabricated digital constructs. The expression garbage in, garbage out still holds a healthy dose of cautionary wisdom after almost 70 years.
After all is said and done, you should enjoy your digital adventures as you explore the seemingly unlimited portals of available information. But keep in mind the mechanics behind the delivery. You don’t want to find yourself looking for an anthropomorphized teddy bear whose personality traits were designed to more closely convey this:
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