What Is the AI Barbie Trend? All About the ChatGPT-Generated Custom Dolls

Instagram and X users have found a new way to express themselves, this time using artificial intelligence.

In a fresh trend, people are asking ChatGPT and other forms of AI to turn themselves into Barbie dolls.

These fake action figures come complete with outfits, accessories and special edition labels designed by the AI that highlight each user’s uniqueness. Some people create Barbies based on their professions and others poke fun at their material obsessions.

Needless to say, the trend has taken a life of its own. There are thousands of images and videos under the hashtag #aibarbie, with many creators saying they wish they could purchase their dolls in real life.

So what is the AI Barbie trend? Here’s everything to know about the viral Instagram moment — and how to make one yourself. 

What is the AI Barbie trend?

The AI Barbie trend features social media users sharing a packaged Barbie doll that they asked ChatGPT to make based on a photo of themselves uploaded to the platform.

They also prompt the bot to include specific accessories like coffee mugs or pets that they use in real life. 

The result? A custom Barbie doll that looks realistic enough to buy. 

What are some examples of the AI Barbie trend?

Social media is flooded with AI Barbies, and many users have shared not only their personalized action figures but also how they made them. One viral clip included the exact prompt the user wrote to create their Barbie and how they continued to edit it to get the exact version they wanted. 

Another X user shared an AI Barbie that her husband had made of her — which she said left her “hollering.” 

Though celebrities have had the privilege of being turned into Barbie for years — the most recent being LeBron James’ history-making induction into the world of Ken dolls — only a few have hopped on this AI trend.

Australian wildlife photographer Robert Irwin, son of the late Steve Irwin, was turned into an action figure courtesy of the underwear brand Bonds Australia, which he started modeling for in 2025. 

How do I do the AI Barbie trend?

To do the AI Barbie trend, log in to ChatGPT (which is required to use advanced features like attaching a photo) and instruct the bot to “create a realistic action figure (Barbie doll) of the person in this photo.” Attach the photo of yourself that you’d like the doll to be based on. 

Be as specific as possible in the instructions and tell ChatGPT what the doll’s figure should look like and that it should be “displayed in its original clear plastic box packaging.” Also write, “at the top of the box is the name of the toy,” followed by your name in quotation marks. 

Finish the instructions by listing out your desired accessories, which should be placed “in the packaging, next to the figure.” Press send, and ChatGPT will generate your own AI Barbie. 

Don’t like the final product? Ask the AI bot to tweak it until you’ve created the kind of Barbie you always wished you could buy.