In 2025, social media transformed into a vibrant gallery of alternate realities, marked by anime-inspired visuals, vintage portraits, and hyper-real 3D avatars. Generative AI, once a novelty, became a cultural powerhouse, reshaping online self-presentation. The year saw trends like the Ghibli-style images, where users turned their photos into scenes reminiscent of the iconic Japanese animation studio. This trend, driven by OpenAI’s GPT-4o, offered users a way to romanticize the ordinary with a few simple prompts.
Another notable trend was the AI action figure phenomenon, where individuals were transformed into detailed, collectible-like avatars, sparking discussions on identity and digital expression. The vintage saree trend, powered by Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model, allowed users to recreate nostalgic portraits, reflecting on cultural heritage and family stories. The creation of hyper-realistic 3D figurines also captured attention, blending humor with technological innovation.
A more emotional trend involved using AI to include deceased relatives in photos, offering comfort and sparking debates about digital resurrection. These trends highlighted how generative AI in 2025 was not just about art or productivity but deeply intertwined with personal expression, memory, and cultural identity.
