Meet the human version of my dog, according to ChatGPT
I'm still convinced my grandfather was reincarnated as Junee
This post is part of a series entitled “BlackTechLogy.” Click here for the archived posts.
There are things about my dog that remind me of my grandfather. I burned a grilled cheese sandwich one time, and it took her about a year to stop making this face (below) when she saw me turn on a stove knob. (And this was after she stopped obnoxiously hiding under my dining room table when she clearly could’ve just gone to another room instead of being in plain sight while I cooked.) Grandad looked at me the same way when I was messing around in his kitchen, especially considering he was a master cook.
And like my grandfather, I’ve lost count of the number of people who have said she seems protective around me. She doesn’t smother me, but she is the type to lay her entire body weight on me while I meditate to make sure I’m not disturbed. (I’m not kidding. I was at my parents’ house, and her head shot up when my mother came close to take a photo of me mid-meditation.) And I’ll forever be appreciative of Junee for saving me from an electric baseboard fire.
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That’s not what makes me think of my grandfather when I think of her too. It’s this expression on their faces when they look at me. It’s not quite staring but more like wonderment. My mother has asked me, “Why is she looking at you like that?” before, when Junee stood up from the floor and stared until I made eye contact. It’s not intimidating — it’s more like the way people looked at Pinocchio when he became a “real boy.” I’m oddly interesting to her while doing absolutely nothing. I would catch my grandfather doing the same thing. Then he’d either start a debate with me about the news or quip, “You’re a lot of fun!” (It was a roll of the dice which one it’d be.)
I always assumed that if reincarnation was real, Junee would be a guy instead of a girl. But this AOL post “The latest ChatGPT trend? People are using it to turn their pets into humans” made me very curious about what ChatGPT would say my Hound mix looks like as a human girl.
Recommended Read: “BLACKTECHLOGY: Copilot versus ChatGPT: Which is better for job inquiries? ~ BlackTechLogy: Could artificial intelligence help reduce the time-consuming process of writing cover letters?”
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So, I asked ChatGPT about a human version of Junee. This was the conversation. (Note: I have edited ChatGPT’s responses to follow AP Style. Everything else remains as is.)
Shamontiel’s question for ChatGPT
What would my dog look like as a human?
ChatGPT responds
To imagine your adorable dog as a human, I can create a character based on their features — like fur color, facial expression and general vibe — and turn those into human traits (like hairstyle, outfit and personality).
But first, to make it really accurate — could you tell me a bit more about your dog?
Name (you can share or make one up!)
Gender
Personality (playful, shy, bold, etc.)
Favorite things or quirks
Then, I’ll either describe or generate a visual of what they might look like as a human!
Shamontiel responds to ChatGPT
Her name is Junee. She's a girl. She's slick like a cat and very affectionate, but she barks at random strangers. She loves carrots and peanut butter, along with chasing rabbits and squirrels.
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ChatGPT responds
Junee sounds like a total character — smooth and affectionate but with just the right amount of sass. I love her already.
Based on her sleek black and tan coat, soulful eyes, and her personality, here's how I imagine Junee as a human:
Human Junee – The Cool Tomboy with a Soft Side
Looks: She’d have sleek, dark brown hair with subtle golden highlights — like sun-kissed streaks near her face, inspired by her tan markings. Big, expressive eyes that always look like she’s thinking something clever. Compact and athletic build, always ready to sprint if she spots a "rabbit" (or in human terms … maybe a jogger or skateboarder).
Style: Think effortlessly cool — hoodie, joggers and a blue harness-styled backpack (matching that bright leash). Sneakers made for chasing things. Maybe a carabiner keychain with a charm shaped like a peanut butter jar.
Vibe: Super affectionate with her inner circle, always leaning in for hugs or just chilling close. A bit suspicious of new people — she might side-eye a stranger at a café before warming up. But once you’re in, she’s loyal forever.
Personality: A playful mix of curious and cautious. Loves the outdoors, especially parks and trails. Eats super healthy (thanks to that carrot obsession) but always sneaks in a spoon of peanut butter like it’s a guilty pleasure.
If you’d like, I can generate a visual of Junee as a human character based on all this! Would you like her in a casual outfit, adventuring in a forest, hanging at a dog park —or something else?
Shamontiel responds to ChatGPT
Casual outfit at a dog park
1. ChatGPT responds (with the initial AI-generated image)
Shamontiel responds to ChatGPT
And what would Human Junee look like if she was a Black girl?
2. ChatGPT responds (with a second requested AI-generated image)
Shamontiel responds to ChatGPT
I want to know what my dog Junee would look like as a middle-aged Black woman. Junee loves carrots and tuna fish, chases squirrels and rabbits, and likes to lay on me while I do yoga.
3. ChatGPT responds (with a third requested AI-generated image)
Shamontiel responds to ChatGPT
And what would Human Junee look like if she [was] an older, Black man?
ChatGPT responds (after about five minutes when 10 other images from two accounts were generated in two to three minutes — yet another reason I think of my mischievous late grandfather)
Looks like there was an error while generating the image of Human Junee as an older Black man — sorry about that! Something glitched on my end, so I wasn’t able to create it properly. If you’d still like to see that version of Junee, just let me know and I’ll give it another go!
Shamontiel repeats her response to ChatGPT
And what would Human Junee look like if she [was] an older, Black man?
4. ChatGPT responds (with a fourth requested AI-generated image)
Shamontiel responds to ChatGPT
This is amazing! Thank you, ChatGPT.
ChatGPT responds
You're so welcome!! I'm really glad you liked it — Junee as a human has serious style and personality, just like her pup self 🐾😊 If you ever want to explore more versions, outfits or even stories with Human Junee, I’m totally here for it!
I was entertained while seeing ChatGPT’s AI Image Generator create human versions of my dog. While the Black girl sorta looks like me as a kid (frown included), the older Black man doesn’t look like my grandfather. He is as handsome as Junee is pretty though, so I’m quite satisfied. I know this is all made-up, but I must admit it was fun seeing what ChatGPT would come up with. I even tested this out with a family member’s dog.
Side note: You may want to skip sharing your dog’s name with ChatGPT if it’s a really popular reference. ChatGPT’s AI image generator will use that dog’s name as inspiration instead of the actual fur color of the dog. For example, if you have a white dog named Bear, don’t be surprised if the ChatGPT AI images use dark brown and black fur instead — in reference to the wild animal.
The anticipation and creativity of the AI assistant creating a human version of these dogs was well worth the wait.
Shamontiel is a dog lover to her core: 630 completed walks with 101 dogs, eight dog-housesittings and six dog boardings at the time of this publication.
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the weekly posts every Wednesday. Thanks for reading!