Something is amusing on Indian social media these days. Turn to Instagram or X and you might just see a person who looks like they’re out of an old Bollywood film, a family photo album from the ’80s or a vintage studio photo.
The surprising part? Some of these pictures are not representative of the 1980s!
Created with artificial intelligence.
The trend of AI photos in the 80s has rapidly grown to become one of the current pop-up internet fads in India. Users are submitting contemporary images and requesting the AI systems like ChatGPT to apply retro styles, vibrant attire, analog film lighting, traditional Indian attire and the classic grain effect of film photography.
This is a very simple experiment that’s much simpler to try out than some of the more complex AI experiments.
So, what was the 1980s AI Photo Trend?
The idea is simple.
An individual takes a photo and asks an AI image-generating system to create an image that appears as if it was taken in the 80s.
Other parts of the face can be altered but not make it unrecognisable. The AI has the ability to include anything that could be considered appropriate for the period, such as the clothing, hairstyles, jewellery, backgrounds, lighting, and photography effects.
A person may request a colorfully decorated saree, traditional jewellery, a typical studio backdrop and warm film light, if you are interested in taking a shot at the Indian version. One could opt for a Bollywood hero outfit and wear sunglasses, a moustache and a wide collar shirt.
The end result should be more than a contemporary digital photograph, and more like a photograph that may have been in an outdated family album for a long time.
Why Is Everyone Suddenly Doing It?
The primary reason is because of nostalgia.
The 1980s is a very recognisable decade in India. Consider large haircuts, vibrant colors, vintage Bollywood posters, framed photographs, anagama camera, and a bit dusty photos.
The trend also evokes memories for many of parents, grandparents and childhood family albums.
However, another reason for its popularity is because the shift has been incredibly easy, as AI has come to the rescue.
Before now, getting even a decent looking retro photo might have been the work of Photoshop skills, a pro photo shoot or even themed photoshoots.
You can upload an image and tell an AI tool what you want the image to look like and it will do a lot of the work.
The simplicity makes it an ideal trend for social media.
Google Searches Show Just How Quickly It Spread
This trend isn’t only seen on Instagram.
This week, Google Trends data revealed a significant surge in the number of Google searches that took place in India around the 1980s AI photo craze. Following the pattern of other searches, the volume of “1980s AI photo prompt ChatGPT” was reported to have increased by 700%, and the searches for “Prompt seen ChatGPT” were up by 500%. The trend of trying to download and make their own versions of ChatGPT also increased the search volume for “ChatGPT download.”
That’s a good indicator of the trends of the modern internet.
Social media trends can become technology trends in no time.
A friend spies another friend’s image via Instagram, which is a retro photo. They ask questions related to its construction. They look for the stimulus.They look for the stimulus words. Finally, they reach out to an AI application and make their own copy of the AI.
Then all of a sudden thousands of people are doing the same thing.
It’s Not Just Bollywood Style Photos
The initial viral images were quite general and had a 1980’s Bollywood theme.
The trend has begun to be more personal and regional, however.
Individuals are taking pictures of their traditional Kerala attire and homes with kasavu sarees and mundus and wearing traditional jewellery. Others are going for a funky style that’s inspired by the south Indian cinema or some other regional style.
The beauty of generative AI is one of these interesting facts.
It is the same technology, but can be a reflection of a person’s own culture, memories and imagination.
The user doesn’t have to say “an 80s photo,” just once.
They can talk about the type of photo that they recall from their house.
Old Wedding Picture.
A college portrait.
A family photograph.
A studio picture.
Or, even, a Bollywood style film poster.
Why are the photos so convincing?
The normal vintage filter will just alter the colour of a photo.
AI can do a lot more than this.
It may alter the appearance of the hairstyle, clothes, jewellery, background, lighting and composition with the aim to keep the person recognisable.
For instance, a contemporary photo could be converted into something that has:
- 1980s hairstyles
- Clothes that are colourful or traditional Indian clothes.
- warm studio lighting
- soft focus
- faded colours
- analogue film grain
- vintage backgrounds
- period-style accessories
These little things combine to give the impression that the picture really is “somewhere else” and indeed, it is.
It’s nearly always for this reason that individuals are sharing these images, is it not?
They’re not only old looking.
They look personal.
The Fun Part Is Imagining “What If?”
One of the most interesting things about all the pictures is…
How would I have been dressed in the 80’s?
The trend is also fun for younger users, who weren’t born in this decade, to visualize themselves in another era.
It can be even more emotional for those who are older users.
A contemporary picture can all a sudden appear like the ones that their parents take decades back.
This enables the trend to have a human-like quality which is something not many AI experiments get to do.
It’s not just about demonstrating the capabilities of AI.
It’s about presenting to people a type of person which is familiar and yet unacquainted.
Even Indian Politicians Have Joined the Trend
The trend has even transcended the regular social media users.
A number of Indian leaders have been involved in the retro-photo craze thus making it even more popular. Some of them shared their own version of AI-generated images, others went the other way and published real photos from the 1980s.
That difference sparked yet another lively discussion on the web.
What’s the point in making an AI photo if someone already has a real 80s photo?
But maybe the answer is not so much about historical accuracy.
It’s all about participation.
Social media trends are effective because people want to participate in the discussion, contribute their own spin to it and find out how it’s received.
What is considered to be a “Real Photo” vs an “AI Photo”?
This is also a significant question to ponder.
What is the point in sentimentality?
While the picture may seem very similar to the original, it’s just a constructed recollection of the past created by artificial intelligence.
This becomes important when the images are not presented in a context.
One of the viewers might think that the picture is a real historical photo.
It is particularly relevant with regard to images of public figures, political personalities or claims of real events.
To have fun there is nothing to be done wrong, make an imagined portrait of the 1980s.
However, it’s a much more serious issue when the AI-generated image appears to be a true old photo.
AI is now a part of our Internet Culture.
Another trend that heralds the march of AI out of tech circles is the 1980s-style photo trend.
AI isn’t just being applied by people for coding and business-related activities.
They are utilizing it to explore identity, recollections, fashion and creativeness.
And it’s easy to make these images, so there isn’t much of a technical hurdle.
For instance, users can generate their own images and modify existing ones in OpenAI‘s current ChatGPT Images feature with conversational instructions.
This makes trends like this much easier to spread.
The person who makes the image.
Another question for the prompt.
A decade changes!
Adds a regional style by someone else.
In a couple of days, just an idea gets transformed into a social media movement.
What will happen after the 80’s?
Perhaps the most interesting aspect.
There are never any long-term trends in the Internet.
After having tried the 80’s, people might gravitate toward the 70’s, 90’s and then even envision themselves in totally other eras.
Indeed, retro AI fashion is already starting to mature past its first decade, as customers take part in creating 90s and 70s-inspired photos too.
The technology will keep getting better and better, but why people are continuing to keep coming back could be as simple as that.
Familiar things viewed in new ways are people’s favorites.
It’s just a blend of that vibe and one of today’s most potent technologies – AI photo technology.
The Bigger Story Behind the Viral Trend
These images might be easy to consider as a new social media fad.
So, there’s something more going on.
AI is turning into an imaginative instrument for standard web customers. A person doesn’t have to grasp the working of an image-generation model to play with the model.
All they have to come up with is an idea.
And right here, millions of Indians are employing that notion to take a mini-journey back to the 1980s—with no help from their phones.
Just like all viral challenges that came before, the trend could simply fade away in a couple of weeks.
However, the bigger paradigm shift is more likely to remain.
The conversation is no longer about “what is AI” and “what’s the impact of AI.” More and more, they are employing it to re-invent themselves.
FAQ's
What is the 1980s AI photo trend?
The 1980s AI photo trend uses AI tools to transform modern photos into retro-style images inspired by the 1980s.
Why is the 1980s AI photo trend popular in India?
Nostalgia, Bollywood-inspired styles and the easy availability of AI image tools have helped the trend spread quickly across India.
Can ChatGPT create 1980s-style photos?
Yes. Users can provide a photo and describe the 1980s look they want, such as vintage clothing, hairstyles, lighting and film effects.
Are 1980s AI photos real old photographs?
No. They are AI-generated recreations and should not be confused with genuine photographs from the 1980s.
Why are people searching for 1980s AI photo prompts?
People are searching for prompts so they can recreate the viral retro look themselves. Searches for “1980s AI photo prompt ChatGPT” reportedly rose sharply in India during the trend.
