You Didn't Hear This From Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip

McKinney defines gossip as the informal exchange of information about someone who is not present. Such information often blends truth, speculation, and emotional interpretation. McKinney asserts that rather than being inherently malicious, gossip functions as a form of storytelling, emotional processing, and social regulation. It also operates outside of institutional structures, offering alternative perspectives and shared knowledge, especially for those without formal power. McKinney frames gossip as a deeply human act that both reflects and shapes how people understand themselves, others, and the boundaries of public and private life.

ChatGPT is a large language model (LLM) that mimics human language but lacks the emotional intuition and speculative thinking required to generate authentic gossip. While it is capable of summarizing information and adopting casual tones, ChatGPT fails to replicate the imaginative and relational elements that make gossip distinctly human. McKinney uses ChatGPT to illustrate the limitations of artificial intelligence in capturing the nuance, intimacy, and social function of gossip. Its inability to understand context, motive, or theory of mind underscores gossip as a uniquely human mode of connection.