AI Caricature Trend Is Harmless… Right?
AI caricature trend has taken over. And if you’ve spent any time online lately, you’ve seen it. AI-generated cartoon versions of otherwise serious professionals.
“Here’s me as an action figure.” “Here’s what AI thinks I look like.” Posts racking up likes and comments.
And look – I get it. It’s fun. It’s easy. It gets engagement.
But here’s the question nobody seems to be asking:
👉 What is this actually doing for your brand?
For mortgage brokers working in a regulated, high-trust industry, I’d argue the answer is worth thinking about carefully.
What Is the AI Caricature Trend?
For anyone who’s somehow missed it: the trend involves uploading a photo of yourself into an AI image tool – usually something inside ChatGPT – and generating a stylised cartoon or toy-like version of yourself.
Prompts like “turn me into an action figure” or “create a caricature based on everything you know about me” are doing the rounds everywhere right now.
On the surface, it looks like a fun trend to join.
But zoom out, and this trend sits inside a much bigger problem developing across digital marketing, the sheer volume of AI-generated content flooding our feeds.
Your organic social media marketing is an extension of your brand. And I’m not sure you want it to be attached to the trend.
“AI Slop” – And Why It Should Make You Pause
Brandwatch recently found that mentions of “AI slop” increased by a whole 200% in 2025. And 82% of the overall sentiment was negative.
Now, “AI slop” is anything that’s considered soulless, low-effort, lazy, or without a purpose. Just another thing to add to the endless pile of AI generated stuff.
People are tired of seeing AI on their feeds, with platforms like Pinterest implementing an option to actually opt-out of seeing AI generated content on users feeds.
Unnecessary AI use just adds to the overall frustration of the current world events. People feel helpless, and seeing a business share AI generated pictures of themselves on top of it, might just be the last nail in the coffin for them.
The Real Risks of the AI caricature trend for Mortgage Brokers
Let’s get into the specifics.
1. Brand Dilution in a Trust-Based Industry
Mortgage advice is not an impulse purchase. It’s regulated, it’s emotionally loaded, and for most clients it’s one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. They’re not choosing a broker because of a funny LinkedIn post – they’re choosing someone they trust to guide them through a complex, high-stakes process.
Of course, they want to feel connected to you, and they want to see your human side too. But an AI trend is not the way to show personality. For many, it shows poor values.
2. Data and Privacy Implications of the AI Caricature Trend
This one doesn’t get talked about enough. Uploading your face into AI tools means handing over biometric data. Using prompts like “based on everything you know about me” feeds contextual personal and professional information into large language models.
As a mortgage broker, you operate in an environment with real expectations around GDPR, data sensitivity, and client confidentiality. Even if you’re only uploading your own information, you’re normalising a casual attitude towards data sharing – in an industry where that attitude can genuinely damage trust if clients notice it.
3. AI Trend Signals Reactive, Not Strategic, Thinking
I have my existing opinions about jumping on every trend that need its own blog post. But here’s another angle.
If your content decisions are driven by “what’s going viral this week?” rather than “what builds my authority in my niche?”, you’re reacting to the internet instead of leading in your market. If trend-led content starts to dominate your feed, you train your audience to engage with you for entertainment rather than expertise. And that’s a genuinely difficult position to come back from.
4. Engagement Isn’t the Same as Authority
Yes, cartoon avatar posts get likes. But the metric that actually matters for mortgage brokers isn’t likes – it’s qualified enquiries. And those tend to come from content that demonstrates real knowledge: clear breakdowns of complex topics, strong and considered takes on industry changes, practical guidance that makes someone think this person knows their stuff.
Vanity metrics and strategic brand positioning are two very different things. It’s worth being honest with yourself about which one you’re optimising for.
Why This Matters More in 2026
We’re in a period of genuine AI content saturation. Almost anyone can produce graphics, captions, videos, and polished-looking posts in minutes. Which means the bar for simply producing content has collapsed entirely.
AI use is also simply just not a fun, harmless thing to do anymore. It’s political. It has real implication on our climate, and the public is tired of trying to fight for a better future for generation to come, only for a single AI caricature image to wipe that effort clean.
It means that mortgage brokers need to really think about what
Should Brokers Avoid AI Completely?
The simple answer: no
Not all AI sentiment is negative. People don’t mind AI as much if it’s used to actually improve everyone’s lives, or contributes in a good way.
That means that going forward, intent and caution around your AI use will be a crucial element.
But when it comes to AI replacing humans and their creativity – you’re entering a really risky area for your business reputation.
Which brings me to my next point:
The Missed Opportunity
A lot of businesses really missed a significant differentiation point here.
And it’s to actually pay an artist to create a caricature for you.
It would make you stand out, showcase strong values and intention behind every business choice. Things that would bring you closer to many potential clients.
Final Thought: Not All Visibility Is Good Visibility
The AI caricature trend highlighted something that needs more thought.
It reveals how quickly even experienced professionals can slip into trend-chasing without stopping to ask whether it’s actually serving their brand. In a regulated, trust-driven industry, your reputation is a long-term asset. It compounds – in both directions.
So before you upload your AI action figure, it’s worth asking one honest question:
Is this building the kind of authority that brings in the right clients – or is it just adding to the pile of content that will leave no valuable mark?