A new trend on social media uses artificial intelligence to recreate people's appearance with 1980s aesthetics, including big hair, shoulder pads, and bold makeup. Searches for the term grew 5,000% on Google in just one week, and the trend gained versions starring celebrities like Sabrina Sato, Ana Maria Braga, and Paolla Oliveira. Just a few days earlier, another viral had already led celebrities to appear in AI-produced videos with fictional hairstyles.
To participate, you just need a photo, a few commands, and a few seconds of processing. On screen, everything seems simple and, often, free. However, outside the phone interface, there is a cost that doesn't appear in the post.
A survey by the United Nations University estimates that, with the expansion of this type of technology, there are hidden costs related to energy consumption and computational resources that sustain these tools. The trend raises questions about what is really behind the free and accessible appearance of these artificial intelligence applications.
