AI action figures flood social media (accessories included)

American actress Brooke Shields recently posted an image of an action-figure version of herself that came with a needle-point kit and a pet terrier.

- Callie Holtermann

NEW YORK - American actress Brooke Shields recently posted an image of an action-figure version of herself that came with a needle-point kit and a pet terrier. United States Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene imagined her own figurine accompanied by a gavel and a Bible.

These hyper-realistic dolls are nowhere to be found in toy stores, at least for the time being. They are being created using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including ChatGPT.

In recent weeks, social media users have been turning to AI to generate Barbie-fied versions of themselves, their dogs or their favourite famous figures.

The trend has frustrated illustrators who oppose the use of unlicensed artwork to train these AI tools, and remain concerned about the effects of AI on their livelihoods. Several have responded by posting similar images of figurines that they illustrated themselves.

"Human made," reads a text bubble on the corner of one such illustration by artist Linh Truong, who depicted herself with her sketchbook and her cat, Kayla.