Digital solutions expert Sumit Kumar from Birmingham-based Creative Ideaz has issued a stark warning to UK households participating in the viral ChatGPT caricature trend, suggesting it could be a sophisticated form of data farming.
The Hidden Dangers Behind Viral AI Fun
Sumit Kumar, a respected social media expert operating from Birmingham, has raised serious concerns about the first major social media trend of 2026. While the ChatGPT caricature phenomenon appears to be harmless entertainment that allows people to share creative representations of themselves with friends and family, Kumar suggests there are significant underlying risks that participants should consider carefully.
Biometric Data and Personal Information Vulnerabilities
Your facial features represent valuable biometric data that serves multiple verification and identification purposes across digital platforms. When you upload photographs to participate in these AI-driven trends, you're potentially providing material that could be stored indefinitely and used to train artificial intelligence models, even without clear understanding of long-term objectives or potential dangers.
Kumar explained to Birmingham Live: "Social media trends come and go, and the ChatGPT caricature represents the first significant viral phenomenon of 2026. On the surface, it seems like innocent fun to share aspects of your life with loved ones, but we must remain aware of potential data farming dangers and how sharing personal details online can have unintended consequences."
Identity Theft and Fraudulent Activity Risks
The Birmingham-based expert highlighted specific threats that could emerge from participating in such trends:
- Data breaches or leaks could expose your headshot and personal information to malicious actors
- Your likeness could be used for identity theft purposes
- Fraudsters might employ your image to deceive family, friends, or complete strangers
- There are no guarantees that photographs or personal information provided to AI models can be permanently deleted
Kumar emphasised: "Even if you attempt to delete your chat history or entire account, your data may still be retained remotely by these platforms. This places individuals at considerable risk of having their digital identity compromised for fraudulent purposes."
Practical Protection Strategies for Social Media Users
The digital solutions expert offered practical advice for those wishing to participate in social media trends while minimising their risk exposure:
- Avoid using actual photographs of yourself when engaging with AI platforms
- Exercise careful judgment about what personal information you choose to share
- Apply the same discretion you would use on regular social media platforms
- Remember that once shared with artificial intelligence systems, data may persist indefinitely
Kumar concluded with a simple but powerful guideline: "If you wouldn't feel comfortable sharing particular information on your established social media accounts, you definitely shouldn't provide it to an artificial intelligence platform. Taking great care with personal data online and understanding potential consequences has never been more important."
As AI-driven trends continue to capture public imagination, this warning from Birmingham's digital community serves as a timely reminder about the importance of maintaining digital security awareness even during seemingly innocent online activities.
