In a light-hearted reminder that artificial intelligence can be used for harmless fun, a young woman from Lucknow has gone viral after pranking her mother with an AI-generated photograph of herself posing with a fictional boyfriend.
A prank powered by artificial intelligence
The now-viral Instagram clip was shared by Pawani Awasthi, who showed her mother a photo created using ChatGPT. The image appeared to show Pawani standing close to a man, prompting immediate confusion and concern from her mother.
Visibly startled, her mother questioned who the man was and when the two had become friends. Pawani calmly added fuel to the moment by saying the man would be visiting their house in the coming days, triggering further alarm. Her mother was heard warning that her father would not be pleased on seeing the picture.
Social media reacts with laughter
The prank quickly struck a chord online. As of the latest count, the video has crossed 3.5 million views and attracted hundreds of comments. Many users described the clip as a rare example of AI being used creatively and harmlessly, rather than for misleading or low-quality content often criticised as “AI slop”.
One user joked that the mother “survived today but would not survive a repeat prank,” while another admitted that despite being sceptical of AI, this was one of the funniest uses they had seen.
AI beyond criticism
The viral moment comes amid broader debates on the role of AI in media and creativity. While concerns over originality and misuse persist, such clips show how the technology can also add humour and joy to everyday life when used responsibly.
Similar emotional uses of AI have also gone viral recently, including a grandson creating an AI-generated video narrating his grandfather’s life as a birthday gift, leaving family members deeply moved.
A simple laugh in a digital age
For many viewers, Pawani’s prank was less about technology and more about familiar family dynamics — curiosity, concern and humour — amplified by modern tools.