New ChatGPT trend turns you into a caricature. Here's how it works.

Those incapable of drawing, or anyone who wants an accurate cartoonish portrait of themselves, are in luck, as OpenAI's ChatGPT can turn you into a caricature.

With artificial intelligence becoming more commonplace, particularly as a means of creative expression, people using ChatGPT to transform themselves − or anything they have a photograph of − into something else has become a viral source of entertainment.

Many ChatGPT users have joined the trend and called on the technology to create a caricature of themselves at work. From news anchors to teachers, working professionals from all walks of life have jumped on the bandwagon, sharing their creations across social media platforms.

Trends involving AI-generated imagery have previously had a shorter shelf life because interest wanes rather quickly. The caricature trend comes months after ChatGPT users turned themselves into Studio Ghibli characters, Barbies and "humanized" their pets.

Here's what to know about the trend, and a step-by-step guide on how to use ChatGPT to transform yourself into a caricature.

'Pretty accurate:' Caricatures galore seen across social media

While some were thrilled to share their caricatures online, others couldn't help but point out the environmental impact of AI use and other issues, such as chatbots replacing artists to create AI-generated imagery.

"Growing up being asked to turn the water off while we brush our teeth to conserve while the same generation is out here using a week’s worth of water to create an ai caricature whilst also complaining that more data centers are being built to house their data," Dean Gleberry said in a Feb. 5 X post.

The rapid expansion and use of advanced AI systems like ChatGPT for personal or professional use, however, have also "inspired concern" about the inherent issues that arise, such as plagiarism and misinformation, from a technology created to understand and generate human-like context, according to a report from IBM.

Several individuals also noted "discrepancies" in the caricature itself, or in other elements of the portrait. For the most part, people were just impressed with how accurate the caricature was.

How to make your own caricature using ChatGPT

Here's how to turn yourself into a caricature with help from ChatGPT:

1. Create or log in to an account on OpenAI's ChatGPT website.
2. Upload the reference photo and enter the following prompt. Just remember to specify whether it's a dog or a cat, male or female, etc.: "make this [dog/cat] [male/female] as a real person, pose (optional), keep everything else in the image the same."
3. Voilà – your AI-generated masterpiece is complete.
4. Share on social media if you'd like.

According to OpenAI, specificity is key, so be sure to share details about your job, your title, what you do for work, what you wear to work, what your day-to-day work typically consists of and where you are working.

The more information you offer, the more "accurate" the result will be, especially if ChatGPT " doesn’t know you well yet" or if you are a brand-newly minted ChatGPT user.

You can also use ChatGPT's voice mode to describe your job.