ChatGPT Box Dolls are Unboxing a New Reality By Transforming Selfies into Retro Action Figures

ChatGPT is once again pushing the boundaries of digital creativity with a step towards the retro. Unveiling a newly upgraded image generator last month, the AI platform has sparked a viral storm across social media, with everyone from your dad, boss and partner, to professional footballers and movie stars turning selfies into a retro-style boxed action figure.

It’s just another way AI is capturing people’s TikTok-bred imaginations and adding absolutely nothing useful to the universe. However, it’s at least a harmless alternative to Studio Ghibli ripoffs that made the rounds on the internet just a few weeks ago.

These toy-style portraits are the latest AI trend to dominate digital culture. But how exactly does it work?

How to Create a Retro Action Figure Image with ChatGPT

Now, the first thing you’ll want to do is try this technology out so here’s how you do it:

• Upload a personal photo and instruct ChatGPT with this prompt:
  • “Create a picture of a 3D action figure toy, as if it were displayed in a transparent plastic packaging, blister packaging model. The figure is as in the photo, the style is relaxed, friendly smile. On the top of the packaging there is a large writing: “HAPPY GILMORE” then below it “PRO GOLFER”. Also add some supporting work items next to the figure, like a water bottle, sneakers, and a golf club. The packaging design is minimalist, cardboard color, cute toy style sold in stores. The style is cartoon, cute but still neat and clean, ala-ala mattel toys, also give the mattel logo in the top corner.”

Once you upload the photo, the model analyses visual features, like facial structure, hairstyle, clothing, and pose. With all the information gathered and organised, it then blends them into the prompt’s creative context. This means your likeness isn’t just pasted onto a generic figure. It’s reimagined with stylistic flair, retaining recognisable elements while adapting seamlessly to whatever fantasy you choose.

We chose the famous photo of Adam Sandler in the blue hoodie at the 2025 Oscars. Interestingly, it was smart enough to know that Adam Sandler was the person we chose, and it didn’t add any accessories to the box with Sandler. So, we promoted ChatGPT to add sweatpants, an Apple Watch, and a water bottle and it spat out the following image.

The tool’s flexibility allows you to stack on accessories, have your name emblazoned on the box, and even crown yourself with a title such as “Photographer.” Interestingly, while we didn’t choose to add the “Journalist in Action” to our Adam Sandler version, ChatGPT automatically input this information based on our previous uses with the technology.

Ultimately, this technology is a digital playground where the boundaries between art and nostalgia blur into a collage of retro charm. Thankfully, the process is very straightforward where the image-generation feature leverages multimodal capabilities available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro users.

The AI Box Doll Trend Is the New Face of Barbiecore 2.0

The trend has gained rapid momentum since early 2025, especially on TikTok, where creators flaunt their AI-crafted portraits under hashtags like #BarbieBoxChallenge.

It’s a modern twist on the Barbiecore craze, reimagining the aesthetic of collectible dolls and action figures from the ’90s and early 2000s. But instead of pastel pink and high heels, users are becoming interstellar explorers, streetwear kings, and fantasy warriors. All boxed up in minimalist packaging that looks lifted straight from a vintage toy aisle.

For those who crave even more specificity, popular channels like Make It Simple on YouTube have already showcased customised prompts, such as one designed to turn a football superstar into a meticulously detailed Cristiano Ronaldo figurine, complete with a ball, boots, and a World Cup trophy nestled beside him. Because why not go all in on the fantasy?

ChatGPT’s Take on the Box Doll Trend

But what does ChatGPT make of this trend? Here’s the AI’s take:

“It’s a prime example of how digital tools are being used not just for productivity, but for creativity, play and a bit of self-mythologising. There’s something undeniably appealing about seeing yourself packaged like a hero from your childhood, complete with accessories and a cheeky slogan. It’s fun, it’s oddly empowering, and, most importantly, it speaks to a desire for more personalised and imaginative forms of self-representation. In the same way avatars redefined how we show up online, the Box Doll trend might just be the next step in how we package our personalities; quite literally.”

How poetic.