How AI’s 'celebrities born in another country' trend is taking over your feed

Saloni Jha | Feb 24, 2026, 16:51 IST
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Viral AI edits are reimagining global celebrities in different cultures and countries.
Indiatimes | Actor Shah Rukh Khan has been digitally reimagined with entirely different regional features.<br>
Image credit : Indiatimes | Actor Shah Rukh Khan has been digitally reimagined with entirely different regional features.
New week, trend, and now there is a new kind of culture shock happening online, and it involves celebrities you thought you knew.

One minute you are scrolling peacefully, the next you are staring at a hyper-real version of Sydney Sweeney draped in a saree, or Justin Bieber styled like a Central Asian nomad. Even Shah Rukh Khan has been digitally reimagined with entirely different regional features.

Welcome to the “If They Were Born In…” AI trend.

Instagram/alexxaffa_ai | Creators typically begin with AI art generators to build a culturally specific base portrait.
Image credit : Instagram/alexxaffa_ai | Creators typically begin with AI art generators to build a culturally specific base portrait.


The internet’s favourite what-if game

This viral format uses generative AI to transport global stars into alternate cultural realities. It is not just about wardrobe swaps. The technology subtly reshapes facial structures, adjusts skin tones, modifies hair textures, and places them in culturally specific settings.

The Italian version might come with sharp tailoring and a dramatically localised name. The Indian version often includes ornate sherwanis or intricate sarees set against vivid backdrops. East Asian reinterpretations tweak styling and facial proportions to match regional beauty aesthetics.

It feels cinematic. It feels uncanny. And it looks real enough to make you pause.

Instagram/alexxaffa_ai | It feels cinematic. It feels uncanny. And it looks real enough to make you pause.
Image credit : Instagram/alexxaffa_ai | It feels cinematic. It feels uncanny. And it looks real enough to make you pause.


How are these so convincing?

Creators typically begin with AI art generators to build a culturally specific base portrait. Then they map the celebrity’s facial structure onto that image using advanced face-swapping tools. The final flourish? Animation software that adds subtle blinks, smiles, or head turns.

The result is a short reel that looks like a parallel universe casting decision.

Why everyone is obsessed

Part of the appeal lies in global curiosity. Audiences enjoy imagining how fame would translate across borders. It creates a strange sense of closeness. People see elements of their own culture reflected in globally recognised faces.

At the same time, the trend has sparked conversations about representation, identity, and how easily AI can reshape human features. It is playful, but it also raises serious questions.

Instagram/bereelwise | The Italian version might come with sharp tailoring and a dramatically localised name.
Image credit : Instagram/bereelwise | The Italian version might come with sharp tailoring and a dramatically localised name.


One thing is clear: these edits are entirely fictional. They are digital experiments, not reality. But in a world where technology keeps blurring lines, even imagination now comes with high resolution.

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