This Viral AI Craze Is Already Putting Your Privacy at Risk—Experts Warn What’s Coming Next

So, here’s a head-scratcher for you: would you really want a robot-made action figure of yourself running around the internet—complete with your facial features, your favorite hobbies, and maybe even that weird coffee stain on your shirt? If you’ve been drowning in the endless scroll of Instagram, TikTok, or yep, even LinkedIn (because why not?), you’ve probably spotted this new viral trend where folks are getting ChatGPT to whip up these digital mini-mes. Sounds cute, right? Like having your own pixelated sidekick. But—hold up—experts are ringing alarm bells faster than you can say “Black Mirror.” Turns out, sharing that innocent selfie with AI isn’t just about a fun little avatar; you might be handing over precious metadata nuggets—think your exact location, when the photo was snapped, and even your quirky behavioral patterns. And remember that guy from Norway? ChatGPT once accused him of something monstrous he didn’t do—so yeah, the tech can get pretty wild, and not in a good way. Long story short, before you jump on this AI bandwagon, maybe pause and ask yourself: is the digital “you” ready for this kind of exposure? Or do we want to avoid starring in our own dystopian Netflix special? If you’re curious about the nitty-gritty behind why this trend might be more creepy than cool, you’ll want to… LEARN MORE

Experts have warned against participating in a viral social media trend which sees people use ChatGPT to create an action figure version of themselves.

If you’ve spent any time whatsoever doomscrolling on Instagram or TikTok or dare I say it, LinkedIn recently, you’ll be all too aware of the viral trend.

Obviously, there’s nothing more entertaining and frivolous than seeing AI generated versions of your co-workers and their cute little laptops and piña coladas, but it turns out that it might not be the best idea to take part.

There may well be some benefits to artificial intelligence but often it can produce some pretty disturbing results. Earlier this year, a lad from Norway sued ChatGPT after it falsely claimed he had been convicted of killing two of his kids.

The AI workforce churning out yet another action figure (Getty Stock)

Unfortunately, if you don’t like AI, then you’re going to have to accept that it’s going to become a regular part of our lives. You only need to look at WhatsApp or Facebook messenger to realise that. But it’s always worth saying please and thank you to ChatGPT just in case society does collapse and the AI robots take over, in the hope that they treat you mercifully. Although it might cost them a little more electricity.

Anyway, in case you’re thinking of getting involved in this latest AI trend and sharing your face and your favourite hobbies with a high tech robot, maybe don’t. You don’t want to end up starring in your own Netflix series, à la Black Mirror.

Tom Vazdar, area chair for cybersecurity at Open Institute of Technology, spoke with Wired about some of the dangers of sharing personal details about yourself with AI.

Every time you upload an image to ChatGPT, you’re potentially handing over ‘an entire bundle of metadata’ he revealed.

Vazdar added: “That includes the EXIF data attached to the image file, such as the time the photo was taken and the GPS coordinates of where it was shot.

“Because platforms like ChatGPT operate conversationally, there’s also behavioural data, such as what you typed, what kind of images you asked for, how you interacted with the interface and the frequency of those actions.”

AI is probably only going to get smarter (Getty Stock)

Essentially, if you upload a photo of your face, you’re not just giving AI access to your face, but also the whatever is in the background, such as the location or other people that might feature.

Vazdar concluded: “This trend, whether by design or a convenient opportunity, is providing the company with massive volumes of fresh, high-quality facial data from diverse age groups, ethnicities, and geographies.”

While we’re at it, maybe stop using ChatGPT for your university essays and general basic questions you can find the answer to on Google as well. The last thing you need is AI knowing you don’t know how to do something basic if it does takeover the world.