What AI thinks the typical Hobart home looks like

By the look of these images, AI thinks Hobart homes are mostly quite fancy. Image: ChatGPT

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DOES AI believe we are all rich? Or, at least, living in very good value for money homes?

In either case, there is a gap between what artificial intelligence thinks a typical Hobart home looks like compared to reality.

Although, sometimes it gets remarkably close.

Putting AI’s imagination to the test, the Mercury used ChatGPT to create images of some typical houses at their suburb’s median price.

Based on this basic prompt for a number of neighbourhoods around the city, the results varied from spot-on to wildly off the mark.

A common trend, though, was that in many suburbs AI produced images of flashy, sleek, large, expensive-looking, double-storey houses. Guess Hobart residents are quite wealthy in AI’s eyes, hey?

Here’s what we’ve found.

BATTERY POINT $1.325m

FINE, I’ll admit it. This was the first one I punched into the chatbot and the result knocked me off my feet. Does this image not look exactly like the ye olde homes found in every street in Battery Point’s historic village? The sandstone, the bay windows, the roof line … is this not a computerised version of No.70 Hampden Rd? Flabbergasted.

Battery Point. Image: ChatGPT

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SANDFORD $947,000

THE background of this image looks more like Midlands farmland, to me, than it does Sandford. Part of the appeal of this Eastern Shore suburb is that you can often own five acres of land, and you can see the water. But still, not too shabby. A home like No.195 Gellibrand Dr has the same wraparound veranda vibe. But it is more leafy than AI imagined.

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SANDY BAY $1.307m

THIS suburb was bound to be interesting, as Sandy Bay is a suburb of many moods. The historic homes of Duke St, the mansions of the Golden Mile, the university units — there’s no one set rule for what a house looks like in the Bay. According to ChatGPT, a modern feel with sharp architecture is to way to go. It reminded me of the angular No.71 Fisher Ave — just need to add an extra $1m to your budget — or the earthy tones of the forthcoming Grace Residences.

Sandy Bay. Image: ChatGPT

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KINGSTON BEACH $800,000

ONCE again, boxy contemporary architecture is the move here, AI says. I’m not convinced. That house looks pricey. Far more than $800,000 might buy in the real world. And, a look at what’s on the market right now in this desirable sandy suburb reveals nothing remotely similar. Feels like a swing and a miss here.

Kingston Beach. Image: ChatGPT

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NORTH HOBART $978,000

THE previous suburb was a strike, but this one was a home run. That exact house is perched on Andrew or Federal or Lefroy St right now this second, and you can’t change my mind. Not every house in North Hobart is historic, but the area’s Federation and Victorian-era homes do come immediately to mind. AI opted for a larger, two-level house, unlike most houses that have been sold in the suburb of late. But the styling is perfect. Something like No.7 Swan St comes to mind.

North Hobart. Image: ChatGPT

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GAGEBROOK $385,000

TO be fair, ChatGPT outstripped my expectations up to this point. But in our most affordable suburb, things went way off the rails. The first attempt was laughable. It created an image that was colourless (very grey!), with an unusual roof shape, the word ‘typical’ printed on the image and AI upped the price to $3.855m, which it also wrote on the image. Umm, OK? I asked it to add some colour and for some reason the second image came back improved, with something one might call an average home. But the colours were weird, so ‘more realistic colours’ was the third prompt. Better, at least No.3 looks like a house, but it doesn’t look like a Gagebrook house. Check out No.3A Thistle St for reference. It’s a 1990s brick veneer home, and the most expensive in the suburb right now. AI’s image looks like it was built yesterday. And has had any wrinkles airbrushed away!

Gagebrook, take one. Image: ChatGPT

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Gagebrook, take two. Image: ChatGPT

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Gagebrook, final version. Image: ChatGPT

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One last test … If AI thinks houses at the median in these suburbs should look so very high-end and expensive, what would it imagine a record-setting $8.533m Howrah home looks like?

Here we go. Reality versus AI:

Domi Riviere at No.10 Howrah Point Court, Howrah.

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