ChatGPT is turning Reddit usernames into images, and the results are unhinged
In the latest viral ChatGPT image trend, Reddit users are asking the AI chatbot to create an image based on their username. And if you think of some of the wildest Reddit usernames you've encountered, you won't be surprised that the results are wild. The AI-generated images are taking over the /chatgpt subreddit this week, as Redditors experiment with the prompt, "make me an image based on my Reddit name."
For users like goodnaturedheathen, the results are cute and charming. For BeachedWhiteMale (pictured above), the results are, well, about what you'd expect.
We won't subject you to the results for usernames like Sad_Proctologist, diarrhea_fingerpaint, or toaster_bath_therapy. (For the good of humanity, Reddit user DiarrheaCreamPi said, “Hey gang, Imma sit this one out.”) Fortunately, submissions from users like HeyLookAHorse, Br0barian, chonkybug, and ChimpanzeeClownCar are much more wholesome.
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When I tried this ChatGPT trend myself, I got the following result (though I'm not telling you my Reddit username, sorry).
You can head to the /chatgpt subreddit to see some of the most popular results. And of course, you can create your own images on ChatGPT.
The results will depend on whether or not you chose an interesting username, of course.
Reddit users are famously unable to change their usernames (not even the capitalization). So, if you've chosen an unfortunate or boring username, you're stuck with it.
In the past, Mashable has covered other viral ChatGPT image trends, such as people turning their pets into humans, generating AI action figures, or asking ChatGPT to replicate an image 100 times. Other viral image trends from ChatGPT and OpenAI have been more controversial, including the original — the Studio Ghibli image frenzy.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
UPDATE: May. 16, 2025, 11:53 a.m. EDT We've updated this article with additional examples from Reddit's /chatgpt subreddit.
Topics Artificial Intelligence Reddit
Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.
Tim studied print journalism at the University of Southern California. He currently splits his time between Brooklyn, NY and Charleston, SC. He's currently working on his second novel, a science-fiction book.
