ChatGPT action figure trend goes viral: What is it and how AI is turning users into custom toys

A new artificial intelligence trend is sweeping across social media, blending nostalgia, digital creativity, and personalization. Dubbed the “ChatGPT Action Figure Trend,” this phenomenon is giving users the opportunity to create hyper-realistic images of themselves as collectible dolls or action figures—complete with toy box packaging, accessories, and thematic designs. The viral trend is powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which now includes image generation capabilities through DALL·E, enabling users to craft customized toy-like avatars using a combination of uploaded photos and descriptive prompts.

This trend follows a series of internet-wide moments in which AI tools, particularly ChatGPT, have enabled viral self-expression—such as Studio Ghibli-inspired portraits and AI-generated yearbook photos.