It’s like a video game character generator — but for boyfriends.
Don’t know what your ideal soulmate would look like? You’re in luck. Jewelry retailer Shane Co. has enlisted artificial intelligence to create a visual representation of the “perfect boyfriend” in each state based on which characteristics these regions reportedly find most attractive.
“Ever wondered what your ideal boyfriend would look like if he were an AI-generated dreamboat tailored to your state’s vibes?” the bauble hawker inquired on its site.
In order to discover what constitutes Mr. Right in different states, Shane Co. surveyed 2,165 Americans — women and any who identify as LGBTQ+ who are attracted to men — across 44 states “about their most desirable physical attributes in a male partner.”
Those included eye color, hair color, hairstyle, personal style, glasses preferences and even tattoo desires.
Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming were not included due to the meager numbers of participants from those states.
Shane Co. then ran the results through Midjourney, an AI image generator, to create a visual representation of the perfect partner — like a digital Pygmalion from Greek mythology.
According to the survey, the ideal boyfriend “has blue eyes, short and curly brown hair, and an outdoorsy personal style, without any tattoos or glasses.”
However, the custom soulmate simulator conjured up vastly different results based on the region, proving that attraction is indeed a state of mind.
For instance, the so-called immaculate man in Wisconsin entailed a “hipster” with brown eyes, a brown “man bun” and oodles of tattoos, while the ideal Jersey boy constituted an athletic Adonis with a short “fade” and zero ink.
Accompanying photos evoked what a “Jersey Shore” cast member might look like in a Calvin Klein ad.
New York fell somewhere in the middle: Mr. Right was athletic with brown eyes, medium-length curly hair and a Sistine Chapel’s worth of body art.
Neighboring Connecticut, meanwhile, salivates over more “business casual and corporate” types, with the accompanying image showing every guy from a light beer ad.
Californians overwhelmingly swooned over a “hipster/alternative” lad with hazel eyes a medium haircut and tats. (So much for the stereotypical image of a blonde surfer dude with washboard abs.)
Georgians, on the other hand, had an eye on a personal style that embraced “hip-hop/streetwear.”
In general, more rural and less populous states seemed to prefer “outdoor” and “country” men, while preferences seemed to vary in higher population centers.
And don’t fret if this ideal man does not exist in real life. Not only can AI conjure up the perfect soulmates, but it can also embody them as well.
To wit: CarynAI, the ChatGPT-powered AI girlfriend based on real-life Snapchat influencer CarynMarjorie, is threatening to render life partners obsolete.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that romancing the clone will work out.
Here is the full state-by-state list of AI-generated boyfriends:
