The AI Trends Taking Over Your Feeds

I think all of our social media feeds suddenly started to resemble a toy aisle a couple of weeks back. This internet sensation of turning yourself into an AI-generated action figure, complete with plastic shell and personalized accessories, was everywhere.

From LinkedIn to TikTok, these digital mini-me’s came from every industry. Before we decided if we would join in, we took a moment to consider the pros and cons. I guess we could call that “taking a pause to consider the strategic implications” and it’s what we’re here for - particularly if your social media feeds are there to build engagement for a good cause.

The appeal of the AI action figure trend was undeniable. It tapped into a sense of fun and nostalgia, reminiscent of childhood toys. It offered a novel way to express your personality and interests by curating the accessories and packaging of your digital figurine. Creating your own AI action figure is surprisingly easy. Most people use ChatGPT to generate these images. The process involves uploading a full-body photo and providing a prompt that describes how you want your action figure to look, including outfits, facial expressions, and objects that reflect your career or interests. You can specify the kind of packaging, mimicking popular toy brands like Barbie. The process is so simple.

The trend became a way for brands and even platforms like ESPN to engage with their audience. It's a quick and easy way to create visually interesting content, and the fact that image generation is currently free on ChatGPT makes it even more accessible.

In the end though, we didn’t join in.

We often encourage our clients to try new things and push themselves out of their comfort zones to engage a broader audience. But. The seemingly innocent fun of creating an AI action figure comes with potential drawbacks that are seriously worth considering, and not just for this specific trend:

• Privacy implications: To create an action figure, you need to upload a full-body photo of yourself to ChatGPT. While it might seem harmless, it's crucial to think about how comfortable you are sharing personal information with AI. If you’re making action figures out of the people you’re serving, this might be an ethical step too far.
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• Environmental impact: Generating these AI images isn't without its costs. Professor Gina Neff from Queen Mary University London told the BBC that ChatGPT is "burning through energy," and the data centers powering it consume vast amounts of electricity. Following Katy Perry’s Jeff Bezos-funded trip to space, I realize this might not seem like a huge issue. But perhaps give it some thought. My friend Pete posted about it - with facts.
• Copyright concerns: There are concerns that the AI technology used to generate these images may have been trained on copyrighted data without proper compensation. Ms. Neff argues that "ChatGPT Barbie represents a triple threat to our privacy, our culture and our planet".
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• The "boring" factor and LinkedIn debate: While the trend was widespread, some found it repetitive and even inappropriate for certain platforms. On LinkedIn, where many users jumped on the trend, some critics argue that such playful content feels out of place on what’s traditionally been considered a career-focused platform. I’m not sure I buy that argument - how do you feel about it? Some even described the trend on LinkedIn as "boring" and the figures themselves as "dull dolls". One commenter on indy100 wrote, "People on LinkedIn turning themselves into cheap, plastic, replaceable products is the least surprising thing". I guess the bigger question here is: Who does the trend serve?
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• Accuracy and bias: As Zoe Kleinman, BBC technology editor, experienced, the AI doesn't always get it right. Image generators can make amusing mistakes and may even make assumptions about how someone should look. Kleinman's attempts resulted in figures that looked too cartoonish, older, or younger than her, and the AI struggled with her eye color.
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• The AI action figure trend was undoubtedly a fun and engaging way to participate in online culture. But it's wise to pause and consider the potential implications before jumping on these AI social media bandwagons.
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• Trends can be captivating and the FOMO can be strong. But by taking a moment to reflect, we can all make more informed decisions about how we engage, and what the “real world” impact is, before fully embracing every trend that pops up on our feeds.