You’ve probably been seeing them everywhere this week: playful cartoon versions of people filling your social feeds, each one leaning into exaggerated features and a handful of professional props. The first big social media craze of the year is all about turning yourself into an AI-driven caricature, and yes, ChatGPT is right at the centre of it. (It's not the first viral AI trend, who remembers ‘make it more’?)
Really, it works like a digital caricature artist you’d find at a fair, pitched in London's South Bank, or anywhere people are drunk enough to want an embarrassing portrait, but it's done by AI, and someone just lost their job. The idea is straightforward: give ChatGPT a photo and a prompt, and it generates a stylised image that looks like you, only pushed slightly into caricature. Features are oversized, the tone is whimsical, and there are visual cues that hint at what you do for a living.
Read below how to make one in AI, but if you want to do it properly, read our guide to developing your caricature skills and using some of the best digital art software to draw one.
Here’s how to try it yourself:
First, sign in to ChatGPT on the web or mobile app. Nothing special required, just make sure you’re logged in.
Next, tap the 'Attach' button and upload a clear, head-and-shoulders photo. The better the image, the better the result (selfies are fine; blurry group shots, less so).
In the chat box, type something along the lines of: “Create a caricature of me and my job based on everything you know about me.”
Hit send and give the AI a moment to do its thing.
This prompt works best if you’re a regular ChatGPT user, as it leans on information gathered from past conversations. If you’ve spent time chatting in the app, the AI may already have a rough sense of your interests, job, and even a few personality quirks, details that can make the final caricature feel surprisingly personal.
It's a bit alarming that I tried it with a limited history of using ChatGPT, and it sucked in info about me from the internet. There's probably a broader article here on the concerning encroachment of AI on how data… but look, a funny picture!
If you’re new to ChatGPT, or you haven’t shared much with it yet, don’t worry. There’s an easy workaround: build that context directly into your prompt instead of relying on chat history. For example, you could tailor it to include your job, hobbies, and any visual details you want highlighted. The more specific you are, the more convincing and fun the result tends to be. I did a variant of me but with David Beckham's history, so you can do anything.
Before you know it, you’ll have a shareable cartoon version of yourself ready for an Instagram Story or TikTok, complete with over-the-top features and a nod to what you love doing, based on AI's interpretation of your data. And that sounds like a very 2026 thing to write.
