OpenAI has the public hooked again, from Ghibli portraits to Barbie boxes.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been making waves since the debut of its powerful new image generator, which exploded in popularity thanks to the viral Studio Ghibli-inspired art trend. But just as the dust was settling, a new AI-driven fad emerged — one that’s transforming LinkedIn into a virtual toy store.
Welcome to the era of the “AI Action Figure” trend — where professionals are turning themselves into collectible figurines with the help of ChatGPT’s image-generation capabilities.
From Ghibli Dreams to Plastic Personas
The recent boom in AI-generated Ghibli-style portraits dominated timelines across X, Instagram, and TikTok, but now the baton seems to have passed to a more niche, corporate-friendly trend: AI dolls and figurines.
It started on LinkedIn, where users began posting images of themselves styled as plastic action figures, complete with accessories like laptops, coffee cups, books, and smartphones. Some even include motivational taglines like “Hustle Harder” or “Born to Innovate” stamped onto their packaging — a nod to LinkedIn’s hyper-professional, often self-promotional atmosphere.
While the most common variant is the “AI Action Figure,” the trend has splintered into subgenres. One popular offshoot is the “Barbie Box Challenge,” in which users are reimagined inside a pink, retro-style doll box, inspired by the success of the Barbie movie and its cultural resurgence. Other versions mimic toy lines from the ’80s and ’90s, tapping into nostalgia with a modern, AI-powered twist.
Why LinkedIn?
Of all platforms, why did this trend take root on LinkedIn? Simple: LinkedIn thrives on self-branding and personal storytelling. The toy-figure format is essentially a clever extension of that — it transforms your personal brand into something tangible, quirky, and visual. It’s the latest gimmick in a long line of attention-grabbing tactics designed to stand out in a feed filled with job updates and corporate jargon.
However, while these figurine posts are imaginative, they’re often met with limited engagement — mostly likes and the occasional comment from a colleague or fellow marketer. The trend feels more like a novelty than a movement, but that hasn’t stopped hundreds of users from trying to ride the wave.
The ChatGPT Factor
A common thread across nearly all these toy-style images? ChatGPT. OpenAI’s model is not just generating the text behind the trend — it’s powering the visuals too. Since the rollout of image generation in ChatGPT last month, demand has been so high that OpenAI was forced to limit usage, delaying access for free-tier users and throttling generation times to prevent server overload.
Although other platforms like Midjourney, DALL·E, and Canva have their own AI art generators, ChatGPT is dominating the branding behind this specific wave. Its ease of use and accessibility make it a go-to for casual creators — a fact that continues to position it as the AI tool of choice for the masses.
This trend, while smaller than the Ghibli art boom, reinforces a growing pattern: ChatGPT is becoming the “gateway AI” for everyday internet users — not just developers or digital artists.
Crossing Platforms (Barely)
Unlike the Ghibli trend, which sparked massive engagement across multiple platforms and even provoked a backlash from artists concerned about copyright and ethics, the action-figure trend has remained largely contained to LinkedIn. There are a few scattered appearances on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, but nothing close to viral.
Major influencers and celebrities have mostly stayed away. The most high-profile figure spotted joining in? Marjorie Taylor Greene. That’s not exactly a seal of pop culture approval.
Still, a few notable brands have started experimenting with the trend. MAC Cosmetics and NYX Cosmetics recently posted branded versions of AI doll packaging on social media, adding their own flair with makeup accessories and glam packaging. These campaigns are clearly aimed at tapping into both nostalgia and novelty — but they haven’t quite moved the needle in a major way yet.
The Verdict: Cringe, Cool, or Just a Blip?
The AI Action Figure trend sits in a strange limbo between cringe-worthy self-promotion and genuinely creative fun. On one hand, it’s a harmless way to show personality and creativity in an otherwise dry professional space. On the other, it feels like yet another LinkedIn gimmick that’s more performative than impactful.
But there’s no denying it: ChatGPT is setting the tone for viral AI content across the internet, one image at a time. Whether it’s Ghibli art, plastic figurines, or the next weird trend around the corner, OpenAI’s flagship product continues to shape how people play, create, and share online.
So, the next time you scroll past a plastic version of someone holding a coffee cup in a sealed blister pack, don’t be surprised — you’ve just entered the uncanny valley of LinkedIn toys.
