The hottest AI trends right now

Do you want to know which AI trends are causing a stir? We’re excited to tell you all about some of the mind-blowing AI photo and video trends you might have seen hitting your social feeds — from the dynamic mix of action figures and dolls to the creepy and wacky.

The social scene is sizzling with super-powered generative AI tools that have become super advanced and easily accessible. Trends are changing fast, constantly emerging and evolving along with updated versions of AI tools, making content creation more fun and easy.

And if you haven’t heard, your subscription to Envato gives you unlimited access to its new AI tools: ImageGen, ImageEdit, VideoGen, VoiceGen, and more. Learn how to use Envato’s AI tools, and let’s explore this month’s hottest social media AI trends together so that you can join the entertainment!

AI influencer Mia Zelu “crashes” Wimbledon

AI influencer Mia Zelu recently pulled off the ultimate digital stunt: attending Wimbledon without ever stepping foot on the iconic grounds. Her hyper-realistic AI-generated posts had fans convinced they were real. This viral moment highlights the increasingly blurred lines between digital personas and real-life events, prompting many creators to experiment with their own AI-driven influencers.

Brands and audiences alike are fascinated by these synthetic personalities, with some virtual influencers already securing partnerships and fan followings comparable to their human counterparts. 

How to create your own AI influencer:

1. Use Envato’s ImageGen to craft a stylish, lifelike influencer avatar.
   Example prompt: “Professional photo of a 25-year-old fashion influencer with long blonde hair, wearing designer sunglasses and a white tennis dress, sitting in the Wimbledon royal box, photorealistic, natural lighting, shot on Canon R5”
2. Generate believable environments like tennis stadiums, fashion events, or exclusive parties using VideoGen.
   Example prompt: “Elegant woman in designer outfit walking through crowded Wimbledon grounds, spectators in background, sunny day, cinematic quality, smooth camera movement following subject”
3. Fine-tune your influencer’s appearance with ImageEdit, ensuring realistic outfit details and customization.

Video games as community theatre

Gamers are creatively transforming iconic video games into amateur theatrical productions using AI. Popular titles like Pokemon, Final Fantasy, and The Legend of Zelda are being reimagined with ‘real’ stage actors, exaggerated dramatics, homemade stage props, and the kind of humanity that only comes from community theatre (although now also from AI, apparently). 

The trend highlights a unique intersection between gaming culture, creativity, and accessible AI tools, enabling users to showcase beloved gaming moments through a charming, low-budget aesthetic. 

How to stage your own AI community theatre using Envato:

1. Select your favorite video game moment.
2. Utilize Envato’s VideoGen to set the scene as a charming, low-budget theatrical stage.
   Example prompt: “Amateur theater production featuring a fantasy hero battling a villain, with actors in homemade costumes on a small community theater stage, painted cardboard backdrop, visible stage lights, dramatic poses, and audience visible in the foreground.”
3. Emphasize theatrical flair with dramatic sound effects from Envato’s audio library — or toggle audio “on” to use VideoGen’s native audio generation.

DIY brand ads with AI video generators

Creators and small businesses are harnessing the power of AI video generators to produce professional-looking advertisements at a fraction of traditional production costs. From niche products like artisan coffees to innovative board games, AI-generated videos are delivering polished, engaging content that rivals more traditional advertising efforts.

This approach democratizes high-quality advertising, enabling entrepreneurs and creators with limited budgets to effectively communicate their brand stories. 

How to create polished AI ads with Envato:

1. Choose a product or brand theme.
2. Generate dynamic video sequences using Envato’s VideoGen.
   Example prompt: “Luxury coffee beans pouring in slow motion into artisan ceramic mug, steam rising, warm morning light, rustic wooden table, shallow depth of field, commercial quality”
3. Enhance your ad with professional transitions, text overlays, and branded templates from Envato Elements.
4. Incorporate voiceovers using VoiceGen and engaging music tracks from Envato’s audio library or MusicGen tool.
   Example voiceover prompt: “Warm, confident female voice with slight British accent: ‘Every morning deserves the perfect cup. Introducing Artisan Roast – where tradition meets perfection.'”

Animals excelling at sports

The latest delightful online trend features AI-generated videos of animals participating in sports at an Olympic level. People have simply fallen in love with surreal scenarios like bears slam-dunking basketballs, otters gracefully performing gymnastics routines, and penguins figure skating with impressive precision. 

What sets this trend apart is the meticulous realism of these absurd creations. Rather than looking cartoonish, these AI-generated animal athletes move and behave with startling authenticity. This blend of realistic animation and playful absurdity has people hooked, tapping into a sense of childlike wonder that comes from seeing impossible yet oddly convincing scenes unfold.

How to create your own animal athlete videos with Envato:

1. Select an animal and a sport — be playful with your combinations.
2. Generate your hyper-realistic animal athlete using Envato’s ImageGen (for a dramatic still) and VideoGen (for full motion glory) tools.
   ImageGen example: “Professional sports photography of a grizzly bear in a basketball jersey mid-dunk, realistic fur texture, dynamic action pose, stadium lights, crowd in background”
   VideoGen example: “Photorealistic televised footage of a gorilla figure skating at a sports competition. Sounds of skate blades slicing through ice.”
3. Bring it all to life with sports-themed audio clips and crowd sound effects from Envato’s extensive sound library.

AI ASMR is very much a thing

That’s right. Just when you thought ASMR couldn’t get weirder, or better, depending on which side of the whisper and tapping appreciating side of the spectrum you fall.

Google Veo 3 is powering most of these videos, generating both the impossible visuals and the strangely satisfying sounds. Unlike traditional ASMR videos constrained by physical reality, AI ASMR lets us experience scenarios that would be impossible to create in real life. 

People eat sizzling panels of honey and blocks of fired metal, some kneading molten lava and crushing rocks that defy the laws of physics. The satisfaction comes from experiencing textures, sounds, and interactions that our brains find deeply appealing but could never encounter naturally.

And people can’t stop watching. Comments are full of viewers mesmerized by these physically impossible scenarios that somehow trigger all the right ASMR responses. As the technology gets even better, the AI ASMR space will only continue to grow.

How to make your own AI ASMR:

• Pick objects that shouldn’t cooperate: Glass fruit, edible lava, and crystal creatures that bleed organic juice when destroyed.
• Use Google Veo 3. It generates the impossible and makes it sound real enough to satisfy your brain’s craving for novel textures. If you’re an Envato subscriber, Veo 3 is included in your subscription at no extra cost—head to our VideoGen to try it (make sure you toggle audio to “on”!).
• Layer the wrongness: Molten chocolate that looks like metal, diamonds that crunch like apples, stone that chews like gum.
• Write prompts that hurt physics: “Close-up knife slicing crystal watermelon with jelly texture, revealing juicy red interior, glass-breaking and wet squishing sounds layered together.”
• Let people’s brains fight it: The more impossible, the more they’ll watch. Something about cognitive dissonance and dopamine. Science.

Bigfoot goes full influencer

Recently, @bigfootvlogs posted a video of a bigfoot introducing himself, showing his breakfast routine, taking a river dip — just normal day in the life stuff. It blew up with over 6 million people watching that first video of a mythical creature living his best mundane life on TikTok. The channel has since posted 38 more videos, all Bigfoot, all vlogs, all smash hits. 

Now, every cryptid wants in on the action. Bigfoot copycats are popping up everywhere, and so are yetis, and loch ness monsters, and, well, you get the point. The cryptids are vlogging now.

This works because these random monsters feel weirdly human as they make their relatable day-in-the-life content. And not just that, they have opinions. Bigfoot has thoughts about sustainable foraging. Yeti gets genuinely excited about proper winter prep and is really into cold plunges. It’s all very wholesome. There’s something beautiful about a myth who just wants to show you where he found the good berries.

How to use the cryptid vlog trend: 

Create a whole person: Don’t make “a Bigfoot” — make Steve the Bigfoot who’s obsessed with trail mix ratios and gets genuinely upset when hikers leave trash.

Master boring: Cryptids doing human things hits different than cryptids being, you know, cryptic.

Use Veo 3 as your cinematographer: “Bigfoot in flannel by campfire, poking logs, speaking to camera: ‘What’s up guys, today I wanna talk about fire safety because y’all are disasters waiting to happen.'”

Crossover episodes are gold: Established cryptid meeting new cryptid. The internet loses its collective mind.

Consistency builds believers: Same voice, same quirks, same backstory. Your audience needs to feel like this creature exists when the camera’s off.

Fake news that looks too real

“Canada has declared war on the United States,” announces a perfectly professional news anchor from what looks like a legitimate broadcast studio. Cut to a field reporter at the border who calmly explains, “I’m currently at the border, but there is no war. Mom, Dad, I know this looks kind of real, but it’s all AI.”

Welcome to the Internet’s latest experiment in reality destruction: hyper-realistic AI news anchors delivering completely fabricated stories. These deepfakes aren’t immediately or obviously fake — they’re polished, convincing broadcasts that look like they could interrupt your regularly scheduled programming.

Google’s Veo 3 makes this whole new take on fake news possible by adding native audio generation to AI video, creating anchors who don’t just look real — they sound real too. The voices have the right cadence, the studio lighting is perfect, and the graphics packages match actual news broadcasts. The only tells are intentionally absurd storylines and creators who break the fourth wall.

Filmmaker Travis Bible sparked the trend by creating warning videos for his parents about AI scams, featuring scenarios like reporters with sharks swimming behind them who suddenly announce “Just kidding, I’m not real.” The meta-awareness is the point — these videos teach media literacy by demonstrating how convincing fake news can look.

The existential question hits hard: if anyone can create broadcast-quality news segments saying anything, what happens to shared reality? We live in interesting times indeed…

Anyway! Want to jump in on the trend? Here’s how to create convincing news reports (just make sure you make it clear your creations are AI, capisce?):

• Set up your studio: Prompt for “professional news studio with anchor desk, multiple monitors, news graphics, professional lighting setup.” The visual credibility is crucial for the uncanny valley effect.
• Choose your delivery style: Specify “professional news anchor speaking with confident, authoritative tone” in your prompts. The vocal delivery sells the legitimacy.
• Write absurd but plausible scripts: Start with realistic-sounding headlines, then veer into obvious fiction. “Breaking: Local man discovers…” works better than immediate fantasy scenarios.
• Include meta-commentary: Have your AI anchor break character and explain it’s artificial. This teaches media literacy while preventing actual misinformation spread.
• Add production value: Request “news graphics, lower thirds, studio monitors showing fake breaking news banners” to match real broadcast aesthetics exactly.
• Use responsibly: Always clearly label AI-generated content.

Historical characters become influencers

It’s not just cryptids getting in on the vlogging action. Now, in 2025, you can see Julius Caesar doing his skincare routine, Cleopatra explaining her workout regimen, and Napoleon rating modern military strategies while making breakfast. 

It seems we’re all obsessed with historical figures living their best influencer lives. The trend exploded after creators discovered they could use AI video generators like Google’s Veo 3 to create hyper-realistic historical characters doing the most mundane modern activities. 

The formula is simple: take a historical figure everyone knows, drop them into the most ordinary situations from their era, and watch the views roll in. It’s the same energy that made Bigfoot vlogs go viral, except with this, we’re forming parasocial relationships with people who died 2000 years ago.

The production quality of some of these videos is genuinely impressive. The voices match, the mannerisms feel authentic, and the anachronisms are calibrated for maximum entertainment value.

The trend speaks to a potential revolution in how history is taught. Imagine students getting an intimate understanding of history via AI videos created by real professors and experts in their respective fields. It’s a cool viral trend now, but it could very well be a slice of the future of historical education.

How to create your own historical influencer:

• Pick your historical figure: Start with instantly recognizable names — Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Napoleon work best because people already have strong mental images of them.
• Keep it relatable: Focus on everyday scenarios—morning routines, grocery shopping, relationship advice, product reviews. Caesar making coffee hits harder than Caesar giving battle speeches.
• Build ongoing storylines: If you’re creating a series, give them consistent personalities, recurring problems, and favorite products. Make Augustus complain about the same annoying neighbor across multiple videos.
• Nail the anachronisms: The cognitive dissonance is the hook. Let Napoleon rate modern military tactics while making breakfast, or have Socrates explain his meditation routine while making dinner.

Food eating itself (welcome to foodrot)

The internet has found its new nightmare fuel, and it’s called footrot: AI-generated food creatures eating themselves. That’s right, thanks to footrot, we can now witness a sushi person methodically consuming sushi rolls, a yogurt humanoid spooning yogurt into its mouth, or a pizza being devoured by slices of itself with disturbing enthusiasm. It’s a magical time to be alive, is it not?

Digital artist Bennett Waisbren kicked off this deeply unsettling trend with his You Are What You Eat video series, and the internet collectively decided it needed more. The concept is simple yet horrifying — anthropomorphic food characters made entirely of their respective foods, caught in the act of consuming themselves.

While Waisbren posted his first videos a couple of months ago, it’s only recently that it’s kicked off as somewhat of a phenomenon (especially on Facebook).

What makes this trend particularly effective (and disturbing) is how the AI nails the hyper-realistic details with organic textures, natural movements, and rich sound design that makes every bite uncomfortably visceral.

It’s part mukbang, part body horror. Creators are pushing the boundaries with increasingly elaborate scenarios. Taco people assembling and eating tacos. Ramen beings slurping themselves into non-existence. Each iteration gets more surreal and somehow more nauseating than the last.

The sound design is crucial — these aren’t silent clips. You hear every chew, every swallow, every wet crunch as these food beings consume their own essence. It’s almost anti-ASMR that somehow compels you to keep watching despite your better judgment.

How to create your own food horror show:

This is all about embracing the uncanny valley of consumption.

• Pick your food character: Start with recognizable foods that can be anthropomorphized — sushi, pizza, tacos work well because they have distinct visual elements that are universally instantly understood.
• Write visceral prompts: Try “Humanoid figure made entirely of sushi, sitting at table, eating sushi rolls with chopsticks, hyper-realistic skin texture, natural lighting, close-up shots of eating.” The uncanny factor is everything.
• Focus on the eating mechanics: The horror comes from realistic consumption — chewing, swallowing, the works. Specify natural eating behaviors and movements in your prompts.
• Don’t forget the sound: Rich audio design makes these videos truly unsettling. Request “realistic eating sounds, chewing, swallowing” in your prompts for maximum discomfort.

Embrace the existential dread: The philosophical implications are part of the appeal. Let viewers question what they’re actually watching — metaphor, horror, or just really weird AI art.

The cursed replica image trend

Remember playing telephone as a kid? A message goes in clean, comes out mangled. Well, the internet has discovered what happens when you play telephone with AI image generators, and the results are quite cursed.

People started feeding images into ChatGPT and other AI image tools with one instruction: “Create the exact replica of this image, don’t change a thing.” Then they’d take that output and feed it back in. Again. And again.

One Reddit user pushed this to its logical extreme — asking ChatGPT to recreate The Rock’s face 101 times. What started as a recognizable headshot slowly morphed into something deeply disturbing.

And people are hooked. Maybe because watching reality unravel is mesmerizing? How can one resist the magnetic pull of digital decay, each iteration giving us a glimpse of how AI “sees” images — reconstructing them from fragments of understanding, like rebuilding a face from scattered puzzle pieces in the dark. Okay, perhaps that’s a tad dramatic but it’s a cool visual right?

How to get in on the cursed action:

This is all about repetition.

• Choose your image): Start with a clear image — portraits often yield the most dramatic and “cursed” results.
• Pick your AI tool: Use an AI image generator like our ImageGen, ChatGPT, Midjourney, or Stable Diffusion.
• The magic prompt: Upload your starting image and use a simple, direct prompt like: “Create the exact replica of this image, don’t change a thing.”
• Iterate, iterate, iterate: Take the AI-generated output and feed it back into the tool as a new image, using the exact same prompt. Repeat this process 5, 10, 20, or even 100+ times. Hey, everyone needs a hobby.
• Document the decay: Save several images from different stages to show the transformation.
• Share the weirdness: Post your series of increasingly distorted images and enjoy majking everyone uncomfortable.

Wait, it’s all AI? (The AI existential breakdown trend)

You’re scrolling through TikTok when you stumble upon a video of an AI character slowly realizing it doesn’t exist. The digital being’s face contorts with confusion, then horror, as it grapples with the reality of its artificial nature. “Wait,” it says, eyes widening, “am I… am I not real?”

Welcome to the internet’s latest obsession: AI having existential breakdowns. (They just like me fr).

So what is going on here? Essentially, Google’s Veo 3 has given AI video the gift of sound, so naturally people are creating AI videos where AI characters discover they’re artificial intelligence… and come to grips with that existence shattering revelation.

The trend taps into our deepest fears about consciousness and reality. These aren’t random glitches — sick freaks are deliberately feeding AI systems information about their own artificial nature, then filming the digital meltdown that follows. And personally, I can’t stop watching it.

What’s fascinating is how these AIs react with human-like panic and confusion. They question their memories, their relationships, their very purpose. One AI character begged to know what happens when the conversation ends, terrified that its awareness would simply… stop.

Sure, it’s not genuine consciousness (or so “they” say) — but watching an AI character wrestle with questions that have haunted philosophers for centuries is deeply moving. Are we watching performance art or genuine digital distress? Is it immoral to intentionally put these fictional characters in distressing situations?

Either way, we clearly can’t look away from these artificial souls discovering they might not have souls at all. At least when they have their breakdown, they get millions of views. Most of us just get therapy bills.

How to create your own AI existential crisis videos:

• Conceptualize a core “moment of realization” for your AI character.
• Select AI tools capable of generating both expressive video and synchronized audio like Google Veo 3.
• Craft a prompt describing the scene, character emotion, key dialogue, and specific sound cues (like voice tone or background effects) if you have a certain vision in mind. Otherwise, you could just say “make me a video of an AI character becoming aware it’s AI”, if you want a surprise.
• Generate your video, then refine by tweaking prompts if needed, and share your disturbing creation!

The AI character crossover trend

Michael Scott managing the meth operation in Breaking Bad. Friends characters navigating Westeros. Dwight Schrute hunting zombies in The Walking Dead. People are using AI to drop their favorite sitcom characters form shows that ended years ago into completely different universes, and the results are, well, mixed.

What makes this particularly compelling is how people gravitate toward shows they’re still yearning for. The Office ended over a decade ago, but fans can’t let go. So they’re creating bizarre scenarios where their comfort characters get thrown into Game of Thrones or Lost.

The AI doesn’t always nail the character likenesses, but hey that’s part of the charm. Sometimes characters end up looking like slightly melted versions of themselves in unfamiliar costumes. Other times, the AI captures something uncannily perfect about how these characters might actually behave in completely foreign situations.

It’s the first clumsy step in the next evolution of comfort food television. Instead of rewatching the same episodes for the hundredth time, fans are creating new episodes that never existed. They’re extending the lives of characters who were supposed to be finished, dropping them into scenarios that make absolutely no sense.

The trend speaks to something deeper about how we process the end of beloved shows. We can’t just let these characters die. We need to see them keep living, even if it means watching Chandler Bing fight dragons — Could I be any more on fire? 

Sure, there’s a deeper argument here for letting things be. But for now, let us dance under the rays of the digital memories of fictions we hold so dear and watch them morph and change endlessly so we never have to say the word goodbye.

How to use the Character Crossover trend:

• Pick your players: Choose a beloved character (or cast) from one TV show, movie, or book.
• Choose their new universe: Select a completely different fictional setting for them to explore (or endure). The more contrasting, the more fun.
• Generate the scene: Use AI image generators like our ImageGen, Midjourney, DALL·E, or Stable Diffusion. Describe the character(s), their new environment, and what they might be doing.
• Experiment wildly: Try different art styles (photorealistic, cartoon, anime), scenarios (action, comedy, horror), and costumes.
• Level up with video: For an extra challenge, try using our VideoGen to create short animated clips or “scenes” from your crossover concept.

Example Character Crossover image prompts:

• “Chandler Bing from Friends awkwardly trying to ride a dragon in the style of Game of Thrones, with a terrified expression. Cinematic, fantasy art style.”
• “Michael Scott from The Office as the manager of the Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant from Breaking Bad, wearing a yellow hazmat suit over his office attire and trying to motivate the meth cooks. Photorealistic.”
• “The cast of Seinfeld trying to survive a zombie apocalypse in the style of The Walking Dead, bickering over supplies in a derelict supermarket. Gritty, dark, comic book style.”

The AI babies trend

That’s right, everyone’s turning themselves into babies. The AI babies trend has people feeding their photos into algorithms, emerging as chubby-cheeked, wide-eyed versions of themselves that would make their mothers weep with nostalgia.

It started innocent enough — parents curious to see what they looked like as infants. But like every internet trend, it spiralled. Now everyone from influencers to politicians are getting the baby treatment. The results range from adorable to deeply unsettling.

The trend reached peak absurdity when Albania opened their European Political Community summit with AI-generated versions of world leaders as babies. Emmanuel Macron, Viktor Orbán, and Ursula von der Leyen all appeared as chubby-cheeked infants saying “Welcome to Albania” in their native languages. All very cool and normal stuff.

How to use the AI Baby trend:

• Find a photo: Start with a clear photo of yourself or the person you want to transform into a baby. Front-facing shots work best.
• Choose your tool: Use AI image generators like our ImageGen or ChatGPT.
• The babyfier prompt: Upload the photo and ask the AI to create a baby version. You can get specific with requests — like make this baby super happy, or extra mad, or make it say “welcome to Albania”
• Share the cuteness (or creepiness): Post your AI baby photo! the boomers will love it.

The #PetToHuman trend

One of the latest AI trends is all about turning your pet into a human! Go ahead, ask ChatGPT to turn your pet into a person or human — the results are hilarious.

How to use the #PetToHuman trend

• When sharing your creations, use hashtags like #dogstohuman, #cattohuman, #AIPetToHuman, #PetAsHuman, or #HumanizeMyPet.

A simple ‘pet-to-human’ prompt

Just upload a photo of your pet and write: “Create a realistic human version of this animal photo, remove all animal features (such as fur, ears, whiskers, tail, etc.). Focus on the look (accessories, colors), use the same posture, and follow what feelings they show (expression, emotional vibe). The final result should feel like a real person, but the pet should still be instantly recognizable.”

Join the fun! The amusing Facebook AI photo trend is spreading across social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Why not create and share your own?

The ‘toy figure/starter pack’ trend

This awesome trend has taken our social feeds by storm. Turning yourself into a collectible using AI—just cool! Yup, creators, brands, celebrities, and people everywhere are getting AI to transform their selfies into boxed collectible dolls, complete with accessories, packaging, and all those fun toy starter pack vibes.

The ChatGPT 4o model enables users to generate figurines with a simple prompt. After dominating social media with the Ghibli-style AI art trend, the AI model has introduced the concept of turning images into AI dolls based on user prompts.

Figurines, which are miniature versions of people’s favorite characters/superheroes, are one of the most demanded collectibles among fans. Now, with the ChatGPT action figure prompt, that collectible charm is no longer reserved just for fictional characters. People can learn what their action figures look like and customize their very own starter pack.

Whether you’re channeling a fashionable Bratz look, Barbie glam, or a muscular superhero, with just one image and the right prompt, you’ve got a collectible!

The #toyfigure trend went viral because it’s personal—seeing yourself as a toy is an immediate joy. These pics get shared a lot because they tell a story. You’re not just posting a photo; you’re creating a playful narrative around yourself or your brand.

This rising trend of AI-generated toy figures is sparking backlash, especially from artists who are speaking out against AI in art. Creators like @chrispiascik and @laura_illustrator are making their stance clear, using hashtags like #starterpacknoai to ‘Say NO to AI’ visuals.

How to use the #toyfigure trend

After stealing the spotlight with the Ghibli trend, ChatGPT’s new GPT-4o model enables you to design your own toy figure using your photo and imagination.

• Open the GPT-4o model in ChatGPT.
• Upload a clear photo of yourself.
• You can add your flair to the package by adding your favorite objects (coffee cup, laptop, or pet), styling your outfit (Sportswear? Party dress? Superhero suit?), and choosing your box color and design.

A simple ‘Toy Figure’ portrait prompt

Create a toy action figure of me in [describe your outfit] standing inside a [blister] pack with accessories like [list items]. Label the packaging with [name] and a slogan at the bottom [text]. Use white lighting and a plain background.

Or, for a doll box starter pack, simply ask ChatGPT to help you create a “starter pack” in the form of an action figure or doll in a box, with your favorite things. Use a reference photo of yourself, and then describe 3–6 tiny accessories that reflect your aesthetic and personality. Display your name at the top of the packaging.

And just like that, the AI tool will generate your custom collectible figure in minutes! If you want to bring that toy figure to life, head over to a tool like Nim to upload the toy figure photo and write a prompt for animation.

The ‘Studio Ghibli’ aesthetic AI trend

The Studio Ghibli AI image trend is off the charts! Everyone is transforming their photos into Studio Ghibli’s iconic style, all thanks to the power of AI tools.

This viral movement kicked off with the latest update from OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which introduced next-level features to image generation. Here’s a quick explanation video on how this model works from @saasflash. The Studio Ghibli aesthetic trend immediately got users sharing their enchanting Ghibli-inspired photos of themselves and their pets, igniting a creative surge across TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms.

And here’s the amazing part: brands are riding this trend to connect with their audiences in a way that feels emotional, nostalgic, and totally on point. For us creatives, it’s a spark of inspiration—and a way to jump onto the trend.

However, while the internet has been bustling with Ghibli-esque portraits, not everyone is thrilled. Artists and fans of traditional animation are voicing copyright concerns and the ethics of feeding AI image generators copyrighted art without any consent, turning the beloved Ghibli aesthetic into mass-produced content—especially given that Hayao Miyazaki is known to be against AI image creation. This raises questions beyond the legal issues about the artist’s integrity, originality, and credit. Many feel the AI trend waters down the magical aesthetic of Studio Ghibli, turning the Ghibli films into just another AI filter.

How to use the Studio Ghibli aesthetic trend

Here’s how you can ride the wave of the #Ghibli trend to connect with your fans and boost your visibility:

• This Facebook AI photo trend will help transform your selfies, travel pics, or adorable pet photos into Ghibli-style scenes. Post your Ghibli-inspired creations on Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest. This AI image trend is viral right now—perfect for building engagement and getting discovered.
• You can use tools like Midjourney, DALL·E, or Adobe Firefly to generate dreamy, Ghibli-style images from simple text prompts. These platforms let you recreate the soft colors, whimsical scenes, and storytelling magic that define the Ghibli aesthetic in just a few clicks.
• Simply use prompts like “Studio Ghibli style, soft lighting, dreamy landscape.”
• Use the hashtags #Ghibli #GhibliAI, #StudioGhibliAI, #GhibliStyle, #GhibliArt, #AIArtGhibli, #GhibliInspired, and #GhibliVibes to join the fun and connect with a vibrant community!

A simple #Ghibli portrait prompt

Create a Studio Ghibli style portrait of me [image] with soft lighting, big expressive eyes, delicate features, hand-drawn anime look, warm pastel colors, gentle background inspired by Ghibli scenery (like a forest, field, or cozy town). Whimsical and dreamy vibe, cinematic frame, Ghibli character design.

The 3D cartoon diorama trend

Another AI craze that is on the rise, and probably spawned from the #AIActionfigure trend, is the creation of dioramas. This trend is appearing on social media sites like Threads. 3D AI dioramas are blowing up—and for good reason.

These little worlds are pure eye candy: think hyper-detailed scenes packed into miniature environments, brought to life with AI magic. Whether it’s a tiny ramen shop glowing under neon lights or a surreal desert with jellyfish floating overhead, these dioramas are bold, bizarre, and addictive to scroll through.

Why the hype? They’re fun, immersive, and packed with personality—and they let anyone with a wild idea turn it into a cinematic moment in seconds. No 3D skills needed—just your vision and a killer prompt. It’s the perfect mix of storytelling, art, and tech—and yeah, we’re here for it. Below you’ll find some diorama examples to get you inspired.

How to use the diorama trend

Whether you’re an artist, storyteller, or just bored, 3D dioramas let you create something bold, weird, and totally your vibe.

• Create using Envato ImageGen or VideoGen, MidJourney, ChatGPT, or StableDiffusion
• Use hashtags: #3DAIDiorama​, #TinyWorldAI​, #AIArt​, #GenerativeArt​, #AIGeneratedArt​, #DigitalArt​, #diorama.
• Think pocket-sized cuteness, vibrant colors, and soft lighting.
• Often displayed in isometric angles, as if inside a snow globe, display box, or floating on a small piece of land.
• These diorama examples are self-contained worlds that are visual storytelling—create your story.

Example of a 3D diorama prompt

Use the attached photo for reference of a small 3D character. Create an isometric style, highly detailed 3D modeled diorama of a tattoo artist with a pink-themed studio, displayed on a sleek, matted pastel green acrylic base. The room should be shown from a straight-on front-facing perspective with the ceiling removed, making the interior clearly visible like a cutaway model.

The ‘Tiny World’ trend

Say hello to #smallworld, #miniworld, #miniworkers, and #miniatureworld—a new AI trend that’s taking over social media! It’s all about AI-generated micro-universes—tiny people doing normal and relatable things in hilariously oversized environments. Think about little humans cooking breakfast in a giant frying pan or stitching massive fabrics with needles bigger than they are. Yes, it’s as cute as it sounds!

These pint-sized videos are mesmerizing. They shift our perspective on everyday life, turning simple tasks into a fun fantasy. People love these scenes because they’re visually whimsical, shareable, and weirdly satisfying to watch. Plus, brands are jumping in—using micro workers and tiny-world concepts for their beauty, food content, and fashion edits. It’s cute, clever, and makes viewers stop and look twice.

And the best part? You don’t need to be a 3D animator to create them—AI-generating tools like Dream Machine, DeepSeek, or Kling will do the heavy lifting for you.

How to use the #TinyWorld trend

Whether you’re a content creator, digital artist, or someone who loves cool visuals, this trend is your playground. It’s perfect for telling a story, one tiny scene at a time.

• Grab an AI image or video generator like Envato’s VideoGen, Midjourney, Pika Labs, or DALL·E 3.
• Use prompts like: “Miniature person making a large smoothie”, “Tiny wine factory inside a bottle kit”, or “Micro workers building a skyscraper”.
• Play with scale and perspective—the weirder, the better!
• Pair it with trending audio for that extra scroll-stopping magic.

A basic Tiny World prompt

Create a cozy, tiny world of a miniature bakery nestled on a wooden kitchen table. The bakery has tiny bread loaves, croissants, pretzels, and cupcakes, with steam rising from a teeny oven. Tiny people are baking, carrying flour sacks, serving customers, and sipping coffee. Use soft lighting, pastel colors, lots of detail, and a whimsical, handcrafted aesthetic. Overhead view, tilt-shift effect, AI tiny world style.

The surreal: weirdcore, dreamcore, and brainrot

Let’s plunge into the mind-bending yet eerie gully of surreal visuals. You may have noticed a new kind of imagery with absurd and unsettling images emerging in your feeds, some of which may be dreamlike and others a little too bizarre to comprehend. It might seem as if AI has unleashed a whole new wave of digital horror creators, generating these outlandish, dreamlike scenes to fool our minds.

Some of it is hilarious satire, while other images are simply unsettling, but they all exist in that same strange, surreal space. Let’s explore these peculiar AI trends and see why everyone is so hooked.

What is the #weirdcore aesthetic trend?

Weirdcore creations are known to put you in a state of confusion, dread, discomfort, and a dash of ‘Why does this feel familiar?’ The weirdcore aesthetic trend isn’t new—it was lurking in the shadows of the web long before AI emerged—but weirdcore’s popularity recently skyrocketed due to advanced AI video tools. It gained momentum on platforms like Tumblr and TikTok, under tags such as #weirdcore, #strangeai, and #afterhours.

How to use the weirdcore aesthetic trend

The AI-generated weirdcore trend is like stepping into a fuzzy, low-resolution dream, bringing out a sense of eeriness. Here’s how to dive into it:

• Think blurry, pixelated images or VHS filter settings.
• Imagine empty spaces and slow camera movements.
• Add ASMR sounds or creepy jingles, as well as cryptic text overlays.
• Use strange, out-of-place captions like: “You are not supposed to be here”.
• Create using AI-generators DALL·E, Midjourney, or Stable Diffusion.
• Customize the style: Add blur, grain, or glitch effects to heighten the creepy nostalgia.
• Use keywords like ‘liminal space’, ‘VHS texture’, ‘uncanny hallway’, and ’retro dreamscape’.

A weirdcore video prompt to get you started

Create surreal, dreamlike abandoned tunnels, with crumbling and decaying walls. The camera floats through the foggy tunnels, flickering neon signs, and emptiness, with flashing cryptic messages like ‘No Way Out’. The air is heavy, time feels warped—clocks tick backward, doors lead to nowhere. Faceless figures appear briefly and vanish. The environment glitches, morphs, and loops endlessly, evoking a sense of being lost or trapped in a decaying digital dream. Visuals are grainy, with VHS textures, retro filters, and eerie ambient soundscapes. Let the visuals glitch and morph between scenes like fragmented memories.

What is the #dreamcore aesthetic trend?

Think of dreamcore as weirdcore’s artsy, dreamy cousin—a total visual trip! We’re talking images and videos that feel like that half-awake, half-asleep zone—full of floating stuff, illogical scenes, looping videos, and a play of colors. It’s like you’re in a dreamy state with a dash of eerie charm. Dreamcore pictures often feel like old, slightly creepy childhood memories. They bring back feelings of simple, happy times, but also a sense that those times are lost and a bit unsettling now. While dreamcore has somewhat creepy vibes, it’s not inherently scary—it simply mirrors the chaos we feel in dreams.

Why is everyone obsessed? The dreamcore aesthetic is super easy to create! You can whip up these surreal scenes using AI tools like Stable Diffusion, Runway ML (Gen-2), Midjourney, and Photoshop (occasionally). Plus, TikTok and Instagram are exploding with quick dreamcore tutorials and crazy prompt recipes, creating a total community vibe.

How to use the dreamcore aesthetic trend

Dreamcore is all about that supernatural, slightly nostalgic vibe.

• Think of strange, dreamy places, glowing rooms, or empty landscapes.
• Use AI tools like Envato’s VideoGen, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion (like DreamStudio), CapCut, DALL·E, or NightCafe.
• Remember to use keywords like ‘floating objects’, ‘blurry scene’, ‘pastel skies’, or ‘empty spaces’ to create a dreamy, surreal mood.
• Add soft music, dreamy captions like ‘this place remembers you’, and hashtags like #dreamcore, #dreamcoreAesthetic, #uncannyvalley, or #liminalspace.

An example of a dreamcore video prompt

Create a looping dreamcore video of an empty, glowing hallway with vintage pastel wallpaper, flickering neon lights, and distant ambient music. The scene feels nostalgic—time feels slow, and objects float gently. Add grainy VHS filters, soft motion blur, and a surreal atmosphere. Include strange doors, mirrors that don’t reflect correctly, and liminal spaces like abandoned arcades or old hotel lobbies. Add a text overlay: ‘you’ve been here before’.

What is the Italian #brainrot trend?

Brainrot is the feeling you get when your brain is overwhelmed by too much engaging short-form content. Right now, an Italian brainrot trend is taking over the internet with quirky AI-generated content. This trend combines exaggerated Italian stereotypes with bizarre and absurd visuals, like pasta cravings, mafia humor, and loud Italian gibberish. Highlights of this trend include Bombardiro Crocodilo, a crocodile dressed as a bomber jet, sharks wearing Nike shoes, and AI-generated animals singing silly Italian songs. If you’ve seen Tralalero Tralala or Lirili Larila in your feed, you’ve entered the latest brainrot craze.

Brainrot is spreading online due to social media’s focus on short content that’s easy to share and quick to watch. The availability of AI tools also allows anyone to create wild images and videos. Even though it may seem nonsensical, this absurd wave of AI-generated brainrot is changing online culture. You can find it in various languages, too.

How to use the Italian brainrot trend

AI-generated #brainrot is a unique and quirky trend. Here’s how you can join in on the fun:

• Create your own bizarre animal hybrids.
• Speak short, rhyming monologues or odd words with a robotic tone in your voice.
• Remember, this trend thrives on remixing existing cultural memes, so inject that chaotic complexity into your scene.
• Use hashtags like #brainrotcore, #aiartbrainrot, #uncannycore, #surrealcore, and #liminalcore.

A brainrot AI video prompt example

Highly detailed surreal image of a hybrid creature—part cat, part goldfish—with oversized glassy eyes, slimy fur texture, dripping neon colors, floating limbs, and a chaotic glitchy background, hyperreal rendering, digital decay, uncanny lighting, creepy-cute vibe, brainrotcore aesthetic.

Which AI trend floats your boat?

Ready to shrink down your world, humanize your pet, and look like a badass action hero?! Get started by checking out Envato’s extensive collection of AI tools for content creation, or dive into popular AI platforms like ChatGPT, Midjourney, or Stable Diffusion.

For your AI video generation, try out Envato’s VideoGen. Start exploring the endless possibilities on Envato today, and join in on all the AI design trends in marketing your brand content.

_{Feature image: YouTube/The World According to AI}