Just when we thought the internet had peaked with the Ghibli trend, enter: the Baby Filter era. People are flooding their feeds with adorable AI-generated child versions of themselves, their friends, and even their pets (because why not?). The nostalgia is strong, the cheeks are chubby, and the energy is infant-core.
But let¡¯s pause the cooing for a second. While this trend is undeniably cute and "awww"-inducing, social media experts and internet watchdogs are already raising the question: Will it really explode like the Ghibli wave did?
Let us rewind. The Ghibli trend, inspired by the dreamy aesthetics of Studio Ghibli, had such a wild response that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman jokingly asked people to chill out because ChatGPT was being flooded with requests to Ghibli-fy everything from selfies to sandwich pics. It was artful, emotional, and downright cinematic. The Baby Filter? It is fun. It is cute. But it is kind of¡ basic?
The tech behind the baby filter is solid, it uses AI and machine learning to shrink your face, smooth your skin, and balloon your eyes into toddler territory. The result? You look like a Pixar protagonist with a baby voice. Cool? Yes. Groundbreaking? Not really.
What is more, the visual repetition is already setting in. Ghibli content came in infinite styles and scenes, from forest walks to rainy nights with Totoro vibes. Baby filter content? It is the same face swap, again and again, just with different people.
And let us not forget that a lot of these baby-filtered videos are being reposted with barely any twist. While the Ghibli trend sparked art and storytelling, the baby filter leans hard into novelty, and novelty, dear internet, wears off fast.
So yes, baby filters are having their moment. But a Ghibli-style cultural takeover? That might be a bit of a nappy dream.