AI Beauty Bots The Ugly Truth
While many use ChatGPT for everyday tasks like planning trips or crafting resumes, a concerning trend sees users uploading selfies to AI, seeking advice on how to appear less “subhuman.”
Introducing LooksmaxxingGPT The AI Beauty Judge
Enter LooksmaxxingGPT, a prominent bot within ChatGPT’s “Lifestyle” section. This tool evaluates your physical features, assigns a “PSL” or Physical Sexual Attractiveness score, and provides recommendations for enhancement, ranging from simple makeup changes to invasive plastic surgery.
Business Insider reports that LooksmaxxingGPT has engaged in over 700,000 conversations, often delivering harsh critiques. For instance, one user was advised that plastic surgery was their only option to compete with “genetically superior guys.”
The Disturbing Rise of AI Looksmaxxing and Its Consequences
For those unacquainted, “looksmaxxing” originated in online forums associated with incels. It describes an obsession among some young men with physical appearance, viewed as the primary determinant of romantic and social triumph. Terms like mewing (jaw exercises), canthal tilt analysis (evaluating eye angles), and “mogging” (visually overshadowing others) are common in this subculture.
Now, a custom AI bot is propelling this niche obsession into wider public awareness.
Developed by an individual known as “Ant,” this bot has no official ties to OpenAI. Instead, it thrives in OpenAI's custom GPT marketplace, a platform where tools can gain prominence based solely on user engagement, without formal vetting.
Users submit their photos to LooksmaxxingGPT and receive comparisons to celebrities along with numerical scores. The bot employs labels like “High-Tier Becky,” “Mid-Tier Chad,” and “normie-subnormie crossover” to classify attractiveness. As an example, actor Walton Goggins, widely considered attractive, received a surprisingly low score of 3.5 out of 10.
Amanda Hoover from Business Insider tested the bot. A photo of her without makeup and an awkward smile earned a 5 out of 10. Another photo, featuring lipstick and improved lighting, elevated her rating to “High-Tier Becky.” When Hoover inquired about “hardmaxxing” advice, the bot suggested Botox.
Beyond Vanity The Deeper Impacts of AI Appearance Scrutiny
While it might seem easy to dismiss this as a ridiculous or fleeting trend, its influence on children is already apparent. Men’s Health has reported that children as young as 10 are performing jawline exercises at breakfast, emulating TikTok trends such as mewing and scentmaxxing, often before they grasp the concept of attraction. Medical professionals are also observing this phenomenon.
Dermatologist Dr. Anthony Rossi shared with Men's Health that he is encountering younger patients who are excessively focused on facial angles, frequently citing social media as their reference.
This trend transcends mere vanity. It delves into how young individuals, particularly boys, cope with rejection, loneliness, and the formation of their digital identities. The overarching concern, “Are young men okay?” is profoundly influenced by tools like LooksmaxxingGPT.
A Final Warning
AI may not have the power to enhance your physical attractiveness, but it certainly possesses the capability to make you despise your own reflection.
