9 times the ChatGPT caricature trend went horribly wrong

Source: Mashable Tech

By Timothy Beck Werth

Timothy Beck Werth – Tech Editor

Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, with particular expertise covering and testing consumer technology, smart‑home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men’s product‑review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull‑riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.

Read Full Bio – February 7 2026

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AI‑generated images.
Credit: Screenshots – Reddit, X

If you’ve been online in the past week, you’ve probably seen the ChatGPT caricatures trend. We’ve covered many ChatGPT image trends at Mashable, but nothing has gone as viral since the original Studio Ghibli trend.

In the latest viral ChatGPT trend, people prompt the model with:

“Create a caricature of me based on everything you know about me.”

You can vary the prompt, but that’s the basic version. In the best‑case scenario you get a cute, wholesome caricature—a cartoon version of yourself with artwork reflecting your hobbies or career.

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Note: Some users’ results are far from what they hoped for. On Reddit and X we’ve seen particularly strange outcomes, and in some cases ChatGPT seems to be “calling out” the user.

Example: “Crunchy‑wraps”

• Left: Enhance… – Credit: Reddit / crunchy‑wraps
• Right: Show you what? – Credit: Reddit / crunchy‑wraps

Other users receive more traditional, cute caricatures, while some get the insulting style you might expect from a rude, underpaid boardwalk artist.

Grok Imagine

On X, some users are using Grok Imagine to generate caricatures, and the results are especially bad. At least Grok isn’t undressing people without their consent—for once.

A disgruntled X user reported that free users of the AI chatbot are getting poor results.

Try it: Head to ChatGPT to create your own caricature, or visit X’s trending page to see the latest examples.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, filed a lawsuit in April 2025.

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#### OpenAI logo displayed on a laptop screen (photo taken in Poland on November 25, 2025)

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| Small (220 × 133) | ![OpenAI logo (220 × 133)](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/00dCLgakOfrpMz64t9BlbmD/hero-image.fill.size_220x133.v1764436471.jpg) |
| Large (220 × 220) | ![OpenAI logo (220 × 220)](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/00dCLgakOfrpMz64t9BlbmD/hero-image.fill.size_220x220.v1764436471.jpg) |

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