Overview
- On Monday, major outlets reported a viral trend on TikTok, Instagram and Threads that uses ChatGPT to turn modern portrait photos into retro 1980s-style studio images.
- The process is simple: users upload a clear frontal photo to ChatGPT, supply a detailed prompt about hair, clothing, lighting and background, then ask for iterative corrections when features are altered.
- Other apps such as EPIK’s AI Yearbook and Remini can produce similar retro portraits, though higher-quality options and multi-image workflows often require paid subscriptions.
- OpenAI’s official guidance warns that edits requested to an uploaded photo can extend beyond the marked area, and journalists advise getting consent before uploading third-party or sensitive images and labeling outputs as AI-generated.
- The trend has thrived because nostalgia and easy tools fit social formats like before-and-after reels, which boosts sharing but also means users should watch for misleading images and unexpected edits.