AI-generated action figures were all over social media. Then, artists took over with hand-drawn versions.
Artificial intelligence-generated action figures permeated social media feeds last week as people fed images of themselves to ChatGPT and asked it to package them into miniature toys.
The resulting images, dubbed a 'starter pack' for a specific person, display packaged dolls that take on the appearance of the subjects, complete with personalized mini accessories — such as iced coffees, laptops, perhaps cameras or pairs of running shoes — and labeled with the subjects' names and job titles.
The action figure starter pack trend is the latest iteration of a growing AI meme cycle, in which internet users who discover ideas for AI-generated artwork quickly inspire others to produce content using the same prompt. Over the last few years, AI-inspired fads have spurred growing scrutiny over how they're contributing to issues like environmental waste and the devaluation of human labor.
The starter packs gained traction over the past few days as brands and public figures took part.
Holly Rolfe, an England-based illustrator and ceramicist who sells her work online, said she found herself sighing in frustration when she noticed the AI action figures taking off.
'The worst was seeing small, especially creative, businesses — and even graphics designers — hopping on the trend,' Rolfe said. 'I think it reinforces how tone-deaf big business can be and accentuates the gulf between brand and consumer. Every single one of those businesses, even the small ones, could have afforded to pay an artist. But they didn't.'
Soon, artists like Rolfe began circulating their own hand-drawn versions of the trend, shared on various social media platforms under the hashtag #StarterPackNoAI, to counter the wave of AI-produced content.
OpenAI, the AI giant behind ChatGPT, has been sued by several news outlets, authors and visual artists who allege copyright infringement. It has recently asked the U.S. government to make it easier for AI companies to learn from copyrighted material, citing a need to 'strengthen America's lead' globally in advancing the technology.
A spokesperson for OpenAI wrote in an emailed statement that the company's image generation tools 'are designed to support human creativity, not replace it, helping anyone explore ideas and express themselves in new ways.'
As generative AI becomes increasingly sophisticated and accessible, many AI models appear capable of generating images in the styles of specific artists or studios.
Last month, ChatGPT-generated memes and portraits in the theme of Studio Ghibli's distinct animation style flooded the internet, triggering potential copyright concerns from users online and causing some observers to resurface studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki's comments calling AI-generated art 'an insult to life itself.'
OpenAI told NBC News at the time that it prevents image generations 'in the style of individual living artists, but we do permit broader studio styles." Studio Ghibli didn't respond to a request for comment last month about the AI-generated images created in its animation style.
Rachel Dormal, a graphic designer in Michigan who sells her own art prints online, said she worries about artists' being pushed out of their livelihoods as people choose to pay lower prices for instantaneous AI-generated commissions rather than human-made work, which often costs more because of the artists' time and labor.
And most developers don't reveal the specific data used to train their AI models, giving rise to concerns about the potential pilfering of human work without artists' knowledge or consent.
'People don't understand all the training data that is sucked up to create a soulless reproduction of someone's style. There are some artists who spend their entire lives building a specific style, only for it to be stolen and rebranded as the 'AI style,'' Dormal said. 'Ghibli is an excellent example. But it happens to smaller and less-known artists every day.'
Dormal was among the many artists online who shared their own takes on the 'starter pack' trend, drawing her own personalized version in the digital art software Procreate. In her drawing, the package label reads: 'Real Human Artist.'
Kentucky-based digital artist April Schweiss joined the trend and drew herself as an action figure with accessories like her cat Fred, her composition notebook and her roller skates. Ever since AI-generated images infiltrated the market, Schweiss said, she has been struggling to make a full-time living through her illustrations.
'I can't keep up with someone who's using AI to create shirt designs and they're doing drop shipment and uploading 150 designs in a month, whereas I might only create five paintings that month,' Schweiss said. 'That other artist that uses AI might have 10,000 sales, where I'll have three.'
To writer and illustrator Haley Weaver, who has been sharing her art online for nearly a decade, the internet's eagerness to embrace AI-powered trends isn't surprising.
Weaver, based in Seattle, said she can understand why people are tempted to try out tools that show them what they'd look like as a Disney princess, a Studio Ghibli character or an action figure, especially when those options are quicker and cheaper than hiring real artists.
'But I also think there's something really sad about that. And it's scary as someone who currently makes a living as an artist,' Weaver said, noting that she has frequently found her own art style reposted or sold without permission throughout her career.
More recently, she has also discovered that some AI models were able to produce written responses that resembled her tone when they were prompted to generate something 'in the style of @haleydrewthis.'
Weaver said that while she thought the AI-generated starter packs were 'so cute,' it wasn't until she began seeing artists give their hand-drawn takes on them that the action figures began feeling 'soulful.' On her own 'Haley Weaver Starter Pack,' she made sure to include the label '100% AI Free!'
'It's such an instant gratification to type in some things about yourself, upload a photo and there you are as an action figure. But from my experience, so much of that gratification is also making it yourself and taking the time to really think about it,' Weaver said. 'There's also the beauty of everyone having their own unique style. I think a lot of AI art just kind of looks the same."
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sioux City Art Center to host opening reception for new art exhibition
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — The Sioux City Art Center will host an opening reception for a new art exhibition. The display comes from Iowa-born, Rhode Island-based artist Duane Slick. It is titled 'A Certain Cadence of Night,' and includes new and recent paintings, silkscreen prints, and a video installation produced in collaboration with Martin Smick. Puzzles, games, D&D: Sioux City Public Library hosting youth, adult reading programs Slick has served as the Professor of Painting and Printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design since 1995. He earned his BFA in Painting from the University of Northern Iowa and his MFA in Painting from the University of California, Davis. The opening reception is set for 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, June 12. At 6 p.m., the artist will give a talk in the Art Center's Lecture Hall. The event is free to attend and open to the public. The exhibition will remain on display during the Art Center's normal business hours through Sunday, October 12. For more information, you can visit the Art Center online here, or call (712) 279-6272, ext. 200. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Forbes
43 minutes ago
- Forbes
Creedence Clearwater Revival's Music Soars Following John Fogerty's Announcement
Creedence Clearwater Revival's Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits rises across Billboard's rock ... More rankings after John Fogerty reveals re-recorded album plans. Creedence Clearwater Revival CCR 1970 Doug Clifford Tom Fogerty Stu Cook John Fogerty in London, England (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage) In late May, John Fogerty announced that he is planning to follow in Taylor Swift's footsteps — a move that many musicians may soon replicate — by re-recording older songs to benefit financially from the albums and tunes that helped launch his career. Later this summer, the celebrated songwriter and artist will release a new album titled Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years, which will feature reimagined versions of many of that band's most successful smashes. The group doesn't need a reason to rise on the Billboard charts, but this exciting development may have been enough to push its music higher. Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits, Creedence Clearwater Revival's hugely successful compilation, appears on three of Billboard's albums-focused rankings this week. It climbs on all of them simultaneously and returns to the top 10 on all but one. The set rises from No. 11 to No. 7 on the Top Rock Albums list, and at the same time, it experiences a similar surge on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums tally, leaping from No. 12 to No. 8. The project has previously peaked at No. 3 and has spent 436 weeks on both rosters throughout its lifetime. Chronicle only fails to crack the top 10 on the Billboard 200. While it remains one of the longest-running successes in the history of that competitive ranking — it's fast approaching 750 weeks — it has only risen as high as No. 18. According to Luminate, during the latest tracking frame, Creedence Clearwater Revival's hits-packed collection shifted 15,700 equivalent units. That's up 8% from the previous period, and that large of an uptick means something exciting connected to the music or the artist – like a new announcement – has taken place. Of that total, 2,200 units are actual sales. It's not unusual for Chronicle to appear on the Billboard charts or even to climb but the group doesn't always score a hit song. This week, Creedence Clearwater Revival's aptly-named revival is in full swing, and the outfit manages one of both. In addition to the album's gains, the rockers also score a hit on the streaming side of the business, as 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain' returns to the Rock Streaming Songs tally at No. 25.


American Military News
an hour ago
- American Military News
Meta sued by Eminem's publishing company over alleged copyright infringement
Eight Mile Style, a company that owns some of Eminem's most popular songs, is suing social media giant Meta over alleged copyright infringement. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Michigan, accuses the Menlo Park-based tech company of storing, reproducing and distributing Eminem's music without obtaining the license to do so. Eight Mile Style, which is based in Ferndale, Mich., is seeking at least $109 million from Meta and a court order to stop several alleged forms of copyright infringement. Music is a big part of social media. On Meta's platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, people add music in photos and videos they share publicly or with their friends and family. But the way social media has changed the way people listen to and discover new songs has also sparked concerns from artists about whether they're fairly compensated. 'Meta's years-long and ongoing infringement of the Eight Mile Compositions is another case of a trillion (with a 'T') dollar company exploiting the creative efforts of musical artists for the obscene monetary benefit of its executives and shareholders without a license and without regard to the rights of the owners of the intellectual property,' the lawsuit said. Meta said in a statement that it has licenses with thousands of partners globally and an 'extensive' global licensing programs for music on its platforms. 'Meta had been negotiating in good faith with Eight Mile Style, but rather than continue those discussions, Eight Mile Style chose to sue,' the company said in an email. Eight Mile Style owns and controls 243 compositions recorded by Eminem, a rapper and music producer that has created popular hits such as 'Lose Yourself.' Meta did remove some of these songs including 'Lose Yourself' from its music libraries, but other versions of the music including a piano instrumental cover and a karaoke version still remain on the platform, according to the lawsuit. Meta not only allowed users who upload these songs to infringe on copyright but knowingly stored and reproduced them in its music libraries so users can use the music in videos and photos, the lawsuit alleges. Users have added Eminem's music in millions of videos that have been viewed billions of times, according to the lawsuit. Meta also unsuccessfully tried to obtain a license for Eminem's songs as part of negotiations with the digital music royalty company Audiam even though the firm didn't have the authority to give them that license. 'Meta executives have actively encouraged such rampant infringement in order to attract as many users as possible to, among other things, make advertising on their services more profitable for themselves,' the lawsuit said. More than 3 billion people use one of Meta's apps daily, and the company makes billions of dollars every quarter from advertising. In the first three months of this year, Meta's revenue reached $42.31 billion, an increase of 16% year-over-year. The company's net income jumped by 35% to $16.6 billion in the first quarter. This isn't the first time Meta has faced legal issues over the use of Eminem's music. In 2013, Eight Mile Style sued Facebook, alleging the social network used the Eminem song 'Under the Influence' for an ad without their consent. ___ © 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.