The 'Actual Imagination' meme is artists’ clapback to AI-generated slop (2025)

A meme dunking on AI-generated art is making the rounds online, and resonating with folks who miss the raw creativity that can only come from a human mind. The meme, born from a recent viral trend of users sharing AI-generated images of themselves as action figures, uses the catchphrase “We use AI: Actual Imagination” alongside original artwork.

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The meme and associated tagline is becoming somewhat of a rallying cry for artists pushing back against the spread of generative AI art and fueling discussions about the impact of programs like ChatGPT on human creativity.

The AI-generated action figure trend

The origins of the Actual Imagination meme lie in the ChatGPT update from late March 2025, which birthed the Studio Ghibli AI style trend and resulting outrage. Other new features allow users to turn themselves, other people, and fictional characters into action figure starter packs, complete with accessory sets based on their personalities and interests.

With an uploaded photo and some instructions, the program spits out a toy likeness in the style of cutesy toy store action figures—most of the time. Part of the #starterpack trend involves jokes about how ChatGPT gets it wrong. The trend blew up on LinkedIn as people and brands created figurines with their profile photos and work histories, some of which got mocked for being the dullest toys in the aisle.

On social media sites like Instagram, these AI-generated action figures started crowding out real ones made by real artists who put a lot of work into them and may sell them in an attempt to make a real living. With all the pent-up frustration around generative AI, the backlash was inevitable.

‘Yeah, I use AI’—but not the kind you think

On sites like X and Bluesky, users rebelled by repurposing the acronym for “artificial intelligence.” On April 9, X user @KetDarkDragon posted an image of Sonic the Hedgehog with the caption “Yeah, I use AI.” They then displayed the acronym vertically so that it could spell out “Actual Imagination.” The post gained over 3.1 million views and 281,000 likes.

The next day, Hungarian social media personalities the Da Vinki Twins (@VorosTwins) made a similar meme using their profile photo, netting 4.5 million views and a ton of praise from fans.

The Actual Imagination meme naturally caught on with online artists. Photographers, digital artists, and others started sharing their best work “made using AI (Actual Imagination).” Others created hand-drawn versions of their personal action figures.

What is AI doing to our imaginations?

In addition to artists fearing for their livelihoods, concerns about the impact of AI use on the human brain continue to fester. If the brain is a bit like a muscle, what might happen if a computer program does our creative thinking for us? Experts are still debating whether what LLMs do can be called “creativity” or not.

In the 2024 edition of the Journal of Creativity, a report on how students felt using AI for creative purposes produced mixed results. While the participants felt that programs like ChatGPT helped them brainstorm ideas, they stalled out on the thought process after that.

“It was both easier and harder to come up with ideas when assisted by the AI,” said one student. “It was easier to use the things listed by the AI, however it then felt more difficult to brainstorm other uses beyond those created or taken by the AI.”

Still, when it comes to practical applications, many fear that publishers will push aside real artists in favor of cheap machine-made content.

“They launched ‘AI action figures of ordinary people’ to get us used to the idea that in the future there won’t be any new movies or TV to make action figures of, because tech nerds made the actual art financially unviable, while the tie-in collectibles market did fine,” wrote writer Joel Morris on Bluesky.

The Daily Dot has reached out to OpenAI for comment via email.

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