A new LinkedIn trend has emerged where users create AI-generated images of themselves as action figures, styled in plastic blister packs with accessories like laptops, books, and coffee cups.

This trend, known as the “AI Action Figure,” has spread to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok but hasn’t gained the same popularity as the Studio Ghibli art style trend.

While the Ghibli art trend faced criticism over copyright and ethical concerns, the action figure trend hasn’t faced significant backlash.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is often linked to these AI-generated images, especially after its text-to-image update.

Some brands, like Mac Cosmetics and NYX Cosmetics, have engaged with the trend, but it remains mostly popular among LinkedIn users.

🔗 Source: The Verge

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ AI image trends reveal a predictable viral lifecycle

The action figure trend showcases the now-familiar pattern of how AI image fads emerge and spread across platforms.

Unlike the Studio Ghibli art trend which generated widespread participation across social media, this professional-focused variant remains largely contained to LinkedIn with limited crossover to other platforms, demonstrating how AI trends develop distinct platform-specific characteristics1.

Data shows that over 77% of companies are now using or exploring AI technologies, with image generation tools becoming increasingly accessible to non-technical users1.

The corporate adoption pattern is particularly telling, with brands like Mac Cosmetics and NYX Cosmetics joining in. However, the trend has failed to attract significant celebrity participation, showing how professional contexts drive different adoption dynamics than entertainment-focused AI trends.

This progression from artistic styles (Ghibli) to identity representation (action figures) mirrors previous technology adoption patterns where initial creative applications eventually shift toward personal expression and professional identity.

2️⃣ AI image generators face asymmetric ethical scrutiny

The comparatively muted ethical response to the action figure trend contrasts sharply with the backlash against the Ghibli-style images, revealing how context shapes ethical concerns around AI-generated content.

The Ghibli trend faced criticism over copyright infringement and appropriation of artistic styles – issues that have historically troubled the AI art community since the landmark $432,500 sale of an AI-generated portrait at Christie’s in 2018 caused controversy among traditional artists2.