What Is The 'AI '90s Yearbook' Trend And How Do You Make One? The Nostalgic TikTok Trend Explained

It seems nowadays that there's is always a new AI-generated trend going viral on social media. The idea of creating new universes or different versions of yourself has encouraged many people over the last two years to utilize various tools created with artificial intelligence, such is the case with the "AI '90s yearbook trend" that is dominating TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms this week.

If you are curious to see a glimpse of how would you have looked if you were a teen in high school during the 1990s, this article can help you join in on the trend, as well as explain what it's all about.

What Is The 'AI Yearbook' Trend?

The AI '90s Yearbook filter was created by the company EPIK and allows users to see themselves as students in the 1990s, with four different high school-style aesthetics to pick from: popular, sporty, smart and grunge.

The tool was first popularized by the K-pop fandom on social media starting around September 27th, 2023. Some big K-pop idols have participated in the trend, including Sooyoung from Girls Generation^[2] and Jeongyeon from TWICE,^[3] just to name a couple.

In early October the trend then exploded on TikTok, where users posted slideshows with their photos. On September 30th, TikToker @doseofrx started the trend on the app with their initial post, gaining over 32,000 likes in just a few days, prompting others such as TikToker @heyitsmorenaa to post examples of their own as it snowballed online.

How To Do The 'AI Yearbook' Trend

If you don't mind sharing your data with an AI program, the first thing you'll need to do is download the EPIK app to participate in the trend. The service, however, is not free and you'll need to pay a fee in order to generate and download your '90s Yearbook pictures.

Here's a simple guide to creating your AI '90s Yearbook photo:

1. Open the app, and select 'AI Yearbook' option
2. Upload your favorite selfies – it's recommended between 8-12 pictures, with a wide range of expression angles and locations. Higher-quality images are also indicated to get a better realistic version of the yearbook.
3. Select the payment option – depending on the option, the pictures might take from 2 hours to 24 hours to be ready.
4. Tap 'Create Yearbook Images' and wait for them to be generated (up to 60 images will be generated for you to download).
5. Once the images are ready, the app allows you to edit them with filters and backgrounds.
6. Tap 'Process' to save your selection as images also as video and it's all good to go.

For more information, check out the AI '90s Yearbook Trend entry on Know Your Meme.