TikTok's wholesome AI 'hugging my younger self' trend explained

A new TikTok trend has people reflecting on their past while hugging their younger selves which is possible thanks to AI technology.

With recent trends, we've seen people using AI in various ways from creating POV back to different moments in history, or imagining what it is like to be a celebrity for the day.

But in this instance, AI is being used for more sentimental purposes where they take photos of themselves as an adult today and another of themselves when they were a baby or child and the artificial intelligence can combine the two photos and make it so that the adult you and child you are hugging each other.

"Hugging my younger self because he never gave up on me," TikTok @justegor posted sharing a video of himself hugging his toddler self.

This particular video was posted in August last year and became a viral trend during these months, and since then we've seen more AI-style TikTok trends like this.

He added in the caption: "I‘m so proud of that guy" and the video has over 41.6m views, 4.8m likes and thousands of comments from people who were stunned are how realistic the video, and had mixed feelings about the power of AI.

One person said: "AI is so good but bad..."

"Seriously now, AI is getting too advanced like look what can it do," another person wrote.

Someone else added: "I'm tripping how does the sky match the photo what".

"The way this looks so real omg," a fourth person commented.

Others also shared the emotional and personal reasons why they are hugging their younger self.

"Hugging my younger self bc she deserved better friends," one person posted.

Another person wrote: "Hugging my younger self cause she needed love while her dad had cancer."

"Hugging my younger self because I haven't been able to make her dreams come true," a third person commented.

A fourth person added: "Hugging my younger self because she deserved a dad".

Another example from the trend is from @solenax073 where both she today and her younger self both beamed as they gave each other a big hug, with the addition of a butterfly AI effect flying around them and this has 5.7m views.

However, AI doesn't always get things right as demonstrated when TikToker @straszny_ had a go at doing the trend and instead of being hugged by his younger self he was hugged by a woman next to him in the photo and his face was the wrong way round for the hug.

Elsewhere, History AI POV TikTok videos are taking people back in time to the black plague, and What is the Project Pan beauty trend on TikTok?

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