How To Turn Yourself Into an Action Figure with ChatGPT — Just Use This Prompt

What started as a quirky online trend is rapidly turning into a viral use case for generative AI. Across LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, people are creating lifelike action figures of themselves — all thanks to ChatGPT’s new image generation capabilities.

But how exactly does it work? What’s the tech behind it, and what are the privacy implications of uploading your face to an AI tool? Here’s what you need to know.

What Is the ChatGPT Action Figure Prompt?

The “ChatGPT action figure prompt” is a structured text command that tells the AI exactly what to generate. In this case, it instructs ChatGPT’s image model to create a toy-like representation of a person inside a plastic blister pack, similar to a collectible figure you’d find on a store shelf.

The success of the trend hinges on one thing: prompt quality. While you can get decent results with a vague prompt like “make me an action figure,” the best images come from detailed prompts that describe the packaging, accessories, colors, layout, and even facial expressions.

Most popular prompts follow a simple formula:

• The toy is packaged in a plastic blister with cardboard backing.
• The person should resemble the uploaded photo.
• There are 2–4 accessories in separate compartments.
• The toy’s name, tagline, and background color are specified.

How the Trend Started

The concept is simple but surprisingly effective: upload your photo to ChatGPT, paste a specific prompt, and watch the AI turn you into a boxed action figure — complete with mini accessories, branding, and collectible-style packaging.

This trend exploded shortly after OpenAI launched its GPT-4o model, which includes native image generation. Unlike earlier versions that relied on DALL·E or third-party integrations, GPT-4o can generate images directly inside the ChatGPT interface with more realistic rendering, better object placement, and clearer text handling.

Early adopters shared personalized toy versions of themselves — from political satire figures like “Pedro Passos Coelho: PSD Action Figure” to more playful formats like cats in blister packs or ‘Tech Bro Barbie’ dolls. The visual style mimics that of real collectibles, with boxed packaging, accessories, and stylized lighting that gives the appearance of a professional photo shoot.

How to Make Your Own Action Figure with ChatGPT

Creating your own AI-generated action figure is free and takes less than 5 minutes, as long as you have access to GPT-4o.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Open ChatGPT or Fello AI
2. Select the GPT Images modelo
3. Upload a photo of yourself (ideally a clear, front-facing image).
4. Paste a detailed prompt — like the one below.

Here is a sample prompt:

“Create an image. Make a collectible action figure of the person in the photo. The figure should be inside a plastic blister pack on a cardboard backing. Add 3 accessories in separate compartments: 1) A book titled ‘Tecnoforma’ 2) A three-headed dog named ‘Troika’ with a bone labeled ‘austerity’ 3) A Hydra tagged ‘Geringonça’ 4) A book titled ‘D. Sebastião’. Make sure all items are visible in the packaging. The cardboard backing should be strong orange. Label the figure ‘Pedro Passos Coelho’ and write ‘PSD action figure’ beneath. Render it in a realistic, photo-like toy style.”

Another example:

“Draw an action figure toy (barbie doll) of the person in this photo. The figure should be full figure and displayed in it original blister pack packaging. On top of the box is the name of the toy “add name” with “headline” across a single line of text. In the blister pack packaging, next to the figure show the toy’s accessories including a – add accessories.”

Third example of an action figure prompt:

“A stylized plastic action figure of the character in the photo with the same exact features as the photo i sent, sealed in collectible blister packaging. The background of the packaging features a futuristic circuit board pattern in blue and purple hues, with centered bold yellow text at the top that says “NAME” with a return spacing sub lettering saying “Action Figure” in white. The figure is displayed in a central transparent casing, as his full body character. To the right of the figure are three miniature accessories: 1,2,3, each floating in their own compartments. The design is sharp, clean, and hyper-realistic, with a subtle plastic shine on the figure and a modern tech-inspired vibe.”

Of course, you can modify the text to include your name, profession, and accessories of your choice — from yoga mats and microphones to laptops or pets.

The image usually takes 1–2 minutes to render, after which you can download and share it.

The Technology Behind the Trend

This new image feature is part of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s latest flagship model that merges text, vision, and audio into one seamless interface. While DALL·E 3 remains integrated into ChatGPT for certain use cases, GPT-4o can natively generate images — giving users faster rendering, better visual coherence, and more detailed customization.

Unlike previous image-generation tools, GPT-4o handles multi-object scenes more reliably. That means it can draw a person, multiple accessories, blister packaging, readable text, and background color — all in one coherent frame.

Additionally, GPT-4o allows in-image text rendering, which helps with creating boxed packaging that mimics real-world products. It’s also capable of blending user-uploaded input with AI-generated visual elements, making it ideal for this kind of hybrid, semi-personalized generation.

Privacy Risks

While fun and creative, uploading your face into ChatGPT’s image generator isn’t without risk — especially if you’re not careful.

When you upload a photo, you’re not just sharing your appearance. Most images also include EXIF metadata, which can reveal the time, location, y device used to take the photo. If you’re in the background of a room or around sensitive documents, those are captured too.

According to Tom Vazdar, cybersecurity chair at Open Institute of Technology, platforms like ChatGPT may also log device information, behavioral data, and even interaction patterns like typing frequency or image types requested. This metadata can be useful for debugging, personalization, or model improvement — but it also raises questions about consent and retention.

OpenAI’s privacy policy states that data submitted through ChatGPT may be used to improve its models, unless users opt out in their settings. Photos are included in this, and while OpenAI says it does not actively collect personal data for marketing purposes, any content you submit could still be retained for system training.

If you’re in the EU or UK, GDPR offers stronger protections — including the right to request data deletion. In the US, laws vary by state.

How to Protect Yourself

You don’t have to skip the trend entirely, but you should take a few precautions:

• Turn off chat history in ChatGPT settings to reduce data retention.
• Strip metadata from photos using any photo editing app before uploading.
• Avoid using real names, location clueso sensitive background elements.
• Consider uploading digitally modified avatars instead of actual selfies.

OpenAI also provides tools to opt out of model training under account settings, available to Free, Plus, and Pro users.

Finally, always get consent if you’re uploading images of someone else — even if it’s just for fun. OpenAI’s terms of service make you responsible for all uploaded content.

The Bottom Line

The action figure trend is a perfect example of how generative AI is moving from novelty to mainstream creativity — blending humor, self-expression, and new media formats.

But with that power comes responsibility. Before you turn yourself into a plastic hero (or villain), it’s worth knowing what data you’re giving away — and how to minimize the risks.

Generative AI is no longer about abstract prompts or synthetic landscapes. It’s now about you. Quite literally.