Overview
- This week users on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Facebook flooded feeds with photorealistic, 1980s‑style portraits made by uploading a current photo to generative‑AI tools.
- People create the images by uploading a clear portrait to ChatGPT or Gemini or by using apps such as EPIK and Remini and then supplying a detailed prompt that specifies hair, clothing, lighting and background.
- Journalists and tech guides now emphasize exact prompts and immediate correction requests to prevent the AI from altering facial features and to keep the subject’s identity recognizable.
- OpenAI has warned that requested edits can extend beyond the marked area, reporters note that top‑quality results often require subscription features, and users are advised to avoid uploading sensitive documents in photos.
- Celebrities sharing their results have accelerated the trend and this wave builds on earlier fads like AI Yearbook, reinforcing the idea that personal photos are now treated as editable assets across platforms.