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Nine terrible AI-generated jokes about Swedish things

Artificial Intelligence programmes such as ChatGPT have made headlines worldwide for writing scarily accurate essays, poems, and even newspaper articles. We decided to ask ChatGPT to tell us some jokes about Swedish things, and here's what happened.

Published: 11 January 2023 15:19 CET
Updated: 14 January 2023 08:05 CET
Nine terrible AI-generated jokes about Swedish things
The ChatGPT tool can write such impressive paragraphs of human-like text that schools in New York have started blocking it. We used it to tell jokes instead. Photo: AP Photo/Peter Morgan via TT

How does this work?

We’re using ChatGPT, an open-source AI model designed for dialogue. Essentially, you type in a question and it generates a response. After testing its article-writing skills (which in some cases were pretty good, in others… not so much), we decided to test how good it was at telling jokes.

Spoiler alert: they were awful.

First off, I asked the AI to “tell us a joke about Stockholm”.

Why was the Stockholm fish so bad at dancing? Because it had two left fins!

Screenshot: The Local

Did you get it? Because I didn’t. I gave it another chance.

Why did the tomato turn red in Stockholm? Because it saw the Swedish meatball!

Screenshot: The Local

Not much better, although this one had at least some reference to Sweden.

I took the AI’s cue for the next one and asked it to tell us a joke about meatballs instead.

Why don't Swedish meatballs like to dance? Because they're too meaty to boogie!

Screenshot: The Local

As I was quickly realising that the jokes were getting a bit meatball-heavy, I went for a different tactic, asking it to “tell us a joke about the northern lights”.

Why did the aurora borealis go to the doctor? Because it was feeling a little polarized!
Screenshot: The Local

Okay, so they do seem to be getting at least a bit better. Maybe the AI is learning how to tell better jokes after all. Let’s ask it to tell us a joke about the King of Sweden.

Why did the king of Sweden wear a crown? Because he was the ruler of the monarchy! Note that some of the humor may not make sense due to the lack of context, I recommend using these jokes carefully.
Screenshot: The Local

Yeah, scrap that, it’s definitely not getting better. This one even came with its own disclaimer. Also, as an aside, the King of Sweden is famous for not wearing a crown: he never had a coronation.

Next up: “Tell us a joke about a cinnamon bun”.

Why was the cinnamon roll feeling down? Because it was feeling a little bun-der-pressure!

Screenshot: The Local

Is it just me or is this one actually funny? Have I been writing this article for too long? Is this a cry for help? Maybe.

Anyway, let’s ask it for a joke about herring.

Why was the herring so bad at telling jokes? Because it always felt like it was fishing for a punchline!

Screenshot: The Local

Again, this one genuinely made me laugh. Next up, midsummer. This time, I asked it to “tell us a joke about a Swedish Midsummer celebration”.

Why did the Swede wear a flower crown at Midsummer celebration? Because it was having a fika-tastic time! (Fika means having a coffee break and chat with friends or coworkers in swedish)

Screenshot: The Local

Has anyone told the AI that jokes usually become less funny when you explain them?

By this point, I was getting a bit tired of the traditional joke format and decided to try and get it to tell us a joke about Swedish politics. It refused, saying that it was not “appropriate to create jokes about political situations in general as it might be considered offensive and disrespectful for some people”.

So I asked it to write a standup comedy routine about Swedish politics instead. Here’s a section of it (the rest of it involved a sketch about the Swedish Prime Minister being caught eating a herring sandwich on public transport and compliments on him making Sweden a “renewable energy powerhouse” with “some of the most humane prisons in the world”).

Comedian: "I mean, have you seen the state of Swedish politics lately? It's like a never-ending game of 'Who's the Least Terrible?' And the Prime Minister? He's just the least terrible of them all. It's like going on a date with the girl who's 'not as bad as the others' "

Screenshot: The Local

The AI is clearly not a fan of Swedish politics, or the Swedish prime minister (it may be important to note here that this AI was programmed in 2021, when Stefan Löfven was still Sweden’s prime minister, so this is more of a slight on him than current PM Ulf Kristersson).

I then tried to get it to tell me a joke about visiting Ikea, but by this point I got an error message stating I’d made too many requests, so I’ll end with this: a nice little haiku I asked it to write about Stockholm.

Stockholm's water flows, In canals and archipelago, Nature's beauty glows.

Screenshot: The Local

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READER INSIGHTS

‘We all cheer each other on’: How we made friends in Sweden

Sweden is often rated as a difficult country to make friends in. We asked those who've been there, done that – or in other words, The Local's readers – how they met their closest friends in Sweden.

Published: 26 April 2024 10:43 CEST
Updated: 29 April 2024 06:43 CEST
'We all cheer each other on': How we made friends in Sweden

“They are so supportive, caring and understanding,” said Erin Swoverland, a reader from the US, about her friends. “We all listen, lift each other up and cheer each other on. I feel so incredibly lucky to have such amazing women in my corner.”

She met most of them at a gym in Stockholm. 

“I attended a Friday training class for women and the rest is history. I will say I think it being a small, independent gym made all the difference as we actually spoke to each other. I haven’t had the same interactions at larger chains,” she said.

Erin was one of dozens of readers who responded to The Local’s question about how they found their friends in Sweden, sparked by a recent survey which showed that 13 percent of foreigners lack a close friend (double the number of Swedes who said the same thing).

A lot of readers alluded to the part-truth, part-stereotype that Swedes tend to compartmentalise their lives and prefer organised fun over spontaneous activities, and one of the classic strategies that always comes up in these discussions is to join some kind of club or society.

The benefit of “organised fun” is that Sweden has a vibrant föreningsliv (literally “association life”), with many people involved in for example their local football club, gaming hub, gardening society, trade union, hiking club, or even just being on the board of their housing association.

“As I always liked cycling, running, badminton, indoor climbing and a few other sports, I found groups on Meetup for such activities. This helped me meet like-minded people. Soon afterwards, some of us started to hang out together for beers or pizzas etc. Thanks to these people we started to invite other people to our gatherings. Finally today, I have a large network of very interesting and close friends (immigrants as well as Swedish friends). When I look back, I realise that it was much easier to get to know people in events having just six to eight people. If you go in a large group setting it is difficult to meet people as splinter groups start getting formed,” said a Pakistani reader.

“I have been in Sweden for over 15 years now. During this time our close friendship network has just increased. Like any friends, we fight and argue at times, but at the same time I know that my friends care about me. I feel at home in Sweden with this circle of friends.”

He wasn’t the only one who suggested joining a society (although one reader cautioned against “survivorship bias” and pointed out that not everyone manages to turn up at event and immediately make friends). Even if you don’t join a traditional club, readers recommended plenty of other networking opportunities, including sites or friendship apps such as Meetup, Bumble BFF, Panion and GoFrendly.

Nathan Lloyd, a Welshman in Malmö, recommends networking meetups, even if they’re not directly relevant to your own field, as well as Facebook groups. He met his best friend, Brian, via Grindr – not the only one we’ve heard of who made platonic friends on dating apps.

“He’s truly my best friend. Been friends for over six years,” he said. “We enjoy loppising together, going out in nature, birdwatching and art, a major thing we bonded over. He’s been there through highs and lows and helped me in emergency situations when I’ve needed someone.”

Nathan Lloyd, centre, with his friend, Brian, and partner, Tom, at the Konstrundan art weekend in southern Sweden. Photo: Private

Not being afraid of putting yourself out there and making the first move was another tip that came up in the survey, with many describing Swedes as warm friends – perhaps even surprisingly warm – once you break through the shell.

“First and foremost, don’t try too hard. Best friends are the organic ones that come in your life at the moments you don’t expect. Be open and give a shot to those who seem to be more open. Swedes who have been abroad frequently are exceptionally more pleasant to keep around,” said Hadi from Iran, who first moved to Sweden in 2010 and now lives in the south of the country.

OPINION:

Peter, a reader who works at Lund University in southern Sweden, befriended his new neighbour after knocking on their door to ask if he could use their wifi until he managed to get his own.

“We have been very good friends ever since, even after I moved to another town. I find Swedes to be very friendly in general, but sometimes I need to make the first effort,” he said.

Robert Blomstrand, a born Swede who lived most of his life abroad, says he and his South African wife, Vanessa, met amazing friends in church and were surprised by their warmth and care.

“Through this we learned Swedish and had many wonderful Swedish experiences (sailing, meals, celebrations). Still very good friends,” he said.

Robert Blomstrand’s friends on a sailing trip to the Gothenburg archipelago. Photo: Private

Ioannis, based in southern Stockholm, said he met most of his friends through university or work and then made sure that the friendships were maintained after studies finished or work changed.

“Important first step was to accept that it is me, the one that has to make an effort. Then show interest in others, learn about who they are and how they are like. Share experiences with them, also offer help and support and ask for help and support. Independence and individualism can be an obstacle in creating social bonds. Make the effort, without expecting same returns. Give it time.”

“I believe that if you want a friend, you have to be a friend first,” said Jeremiah from the US. “My friends are people who were willing to invest in a building a relationship because they didn’t have them locally. We connected over the shared experience of being displaced and learning how to adult again. The connections grew because we had other shared interests, were willing to spend more time together, and were willing to help each other.”

“Focus on finding people who like doing things that you enjoy, like going to museums, movies, etc,” said a Stockholm-based reader, who made friends with his colleague after inviting him to a drag show at the Abba Museum.

“It’s so much easier to make friends during the things you like. Like any relationship, don’t try and rush it,” he added. “Just continue to reach out for times to hang out, and be OK with them not always saying yes the first time. We’re all busy. I also found it easier to make friends with folks, particularly Swedes, who weren’t from Stockholm (or whatever city you’re living in) as they generally have smaller networks/ open to make new friends in Stockholm.

Several readers expressed sadness that they hadn’t made any Swedish friends and that all their friends were fellow foreigners.

“I made friends through work (international company) and from my country of origin. I don’t have any Swedish friends even though I have been living in Stockholm for 15 years,” said a Colombian reader.

Some readers, however, argued that it isn’t necessarily strange, or a negative, that foreigners end up with foreigners, as you share similar experiences. Having a community with people you feel close to and have something in common with matters more than who they are.

“Close friendships are built because you share some experiences in life. I was an immigrant in Sweden, hence like all immigrants in Sweden I faced many issues time after time, for example issues related to visa or bank accounts,” said the Pakistani reader from the start of the article. “It is much easier to connect with people when you share similar issues. Don’t be afraid to talk about your experiences. This helps to bring us closer.”

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