How to Do the AI Trend on TikTok and Instagram (Hotel Lobby, Zombie and More)
Published October 6, 2026 · Updated October 8, 2026
An AI trend is a short, meme-style video made with an AI video tool using your own uploaded photos. Instead of editing a video clip from scratch, you drop clear photos of your face into a fixed, recognizable scene or story template. A new format takes over social feeds every few weeks as creators find creative ways to put themselves, their friends, or their pets into these clips. If you have been scrolling through your feed and wondering how to do the AI trend on TikTok and Instagram, the process is straightforward once you know which tools to use and how to prepare your images.
Before you begin, it helps to clear up a common point of confusion. This process is not TikTok’s built-in AI Alive feature. AI Alive is a feature inside TikTok that animates a photo from a text prompt or a preset. It is also not Instagram’s Meta AI Restyle effect in Stories, nor is it the older AI-avatar trend from apps like Lensa that generated large packs of stylized portraits. Those built-in app features and older avatar apps are what traditional search results show. If you searched how to do the AI trend on TikTok and only found app features, that is why. Modern social trends rely on AI video generators and web templates that synthesize entirely new video clips.
This guide breaks down everything you need so you know how to do the AI trend and how to make AI trend videos without getting lost in technical settings. You will find the general four-step creation workflow, detailed step-by-step guides for the popular Hotel Lobby and Zombie trends, an honest free tool comparison, solutions for common generation mistakes, and answers to frequently asked questions.
How to Do the AI Trend: The 4-Step Process
Whether you want to make a rap video, a story clip, or an emotional scene, following the core steps for how to do the AI trend is the same across almost every platform. Here is how to do the AI trend in four simple steps.
Step 1: Pick the Trend
First, choose the specific meme or scene you want to recreate. Every AI trend uses a distinct visual setup, such as a studio booth, an apocalyptic scene, or a sunset beach walk. Browsing your TikTok For You page or Instagram Reels feed will show you which templates are currently popular. Identifying the exact trend beforehand tells you how many photos you need, what kind of poses work best, and whether the trend relies on a specific built-in audio track.
Step 2: Choose Your Photos
Good photos are half of how to do the AI trend. Gather high-resolution, well-lit photos before opening any tool. Stick to a strict photo checklist: ensure there is only one person per photo, choose front-facing shots where the face is fully visible, and avoid heavy shadows or backlit backgrounds. Keep head-and-shoulders framing whenever possible so the AI can map facial features accurately. Always ask for permission before uploading photos of friends or family members to any online video generator.
Step 3: Generate the Video
Learning how to make AI trend videos comes down to picking the right generation path. Upload your photos into your selected tool to build the clip. There are three main paths available depending on your comfort level. You can use CapCut templates inside a mobile video editor, write custom prompts with reference images in AI video generators like Dreamina or Higgsfield, or use web tools like Ricebowl where you simply upload your photos into drop zones without writing prompts. Choose your settings, hit generate, and wait a few minutes while the AI processes your video.
Step 4: Post It on TikTok or Instagram
Once processing finishes, save the final MP4 file directly to your phone or computer. Open TikTok or Instagram Reels, create a new post, and upload your video file. If the original tool output includes a built-in beat or audio track that you want to replace, use the sound selector inside TikTok or Instagram to swap in a trending sound from the platform library. Finally, turn on TikTok’s AI-generated content label when you post. This label informs viewers that the video was created using AI software. This is the last part of how to do the AI trend on TikTok and Instagram.
Hotel Lobby AI Trend
What is the Hotel Lobby AI Trend?
The Hotel Lobby AI trend features two people standing in a bright orange studio while taking turns rapping into a single microphone hanging from the ceiling. The trend took off on TikTok in September 2026 as creators placed themselves, their partners, friends, family, or pets into the orange booth. That is why so many people search for how to do the AI trend with the orange booth template. Although the finished clip resembles a face swap, the whole video is generated new from your uploaded static photos.
How to Do It in 4 Steps
Here is how to do the AI trend using the Hotel Lobby generator on Ricebowl.
- Go to the Hotel Lobby AI tool page and prepare two photos. Upload your first picture into the Left Person box and your second picture into the Right Person box. Make sure each uploaded photo contains only one face.
- Select your generation settings. Choose between portrait 9:16 or alternative shapes, select 480p or 720p quality, and pick your duration. Options include 5, 10, or 15 seconds, with 15-second renders reserved for subscribers.
- Click the Generate button and sign in if prompted. Leave the browser tab open for two to three minutes while the server renders your video.
- Download the completed MP4 video to your device. Open TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts and post your clip directly.
The output video comes back complete with sound featuring an AI-made beat and timed voices matched to the movement on screen. It is not a copy of any song, so you do not need to add sound in the app.
Can You Do It for Free?
If you are looking for how to do the AI trend for free, there are a few external options to consider. Dreamina offers a guide for this trend using Seedance 2.5 with two separate photos and a prompt, and it offers a free tier at the time of writing. Higgsfield also offers a free tier at the time of writing; people use its Motion Transfer model with a reference video plus portraits, though this setup is more manual. Note that free allowances and daily limits change often, so check the app directly.
On Ricebowl, the process needs no prompts, but it is not free. Generations are paid using credits. A 5-second 480p render costs 50 credits, while 720p costs 90 credits. Longer durations require additional credits, and the button shows the exact price. New accounts get 20 sign-up credits, which do not cover one video. Subscription plans start at $7.99 a month for 200 credits.
Who It Works For
This trend works with any two people: two women, two men, friends, couples, or family members. The video keeps the clothes shown in the photos. Pets and cartoons can work, but results vary more than with human faces.
Tips for Best Results
The key to how to do the AI trend with two people is clear, front-facing selfies in good light. Every render is a little different, so run it again before changing photos if your first result needs minor adjustments.
When you are ready to make your video, you can make the Hotel Lobby AI video on Ricebowl.
Zombie AI Trend
What is the Zombie AI Trend?
The Zombie AI trend creates an emotional story clip featuring a post-apocalyptic narrative. In the video, someone you love turns into a zombie. You raise a weapon but cannot pull the trigger. The zombie recognizes you and hugs you, followed by a hard cut to a warm, slow-motion golden memory of happy times together. Seeing this dramatic clip makes many people look up how to do the AI trend with their partners or pets.
How to Do It in 4 Steps
Follow these steps to learn how to do the AI trend with the Zombie template on Ricebowl.
- Navigate to the Zombie AI tool page. Upload Photo 1, which represents the person or pet who turns into a zombie. Photo 2 (yourself) is optional; skip it and the video is shot from a first-person view.
- Pick who turns (Partner, Family, Best friend, or Pet) and clip length (10 seconds, or 15 seconds for subscribers).
- Click the Generate button and keep the page open for a few minutes while the server processes the scene.
- Download the final vertical MP4 file directly to your phone or computer and post it on your preferred social platform.
The generated output is delivered in vertical 9:16 at 768p resolution. Soft piano background music is built in and cannot be turned off. If you want a trending sound, swap the audio inside TikTok or Instagram after you download.
Can You Do It for Free?
For people exploring how to do the AI trend for free, Dreamina and CapCut both offer templates for this trend, with a free tier or free template available at the time of writing. Free allowances change often, so check the app directly.
On Ricebowl, the Zombie generator eliminates manual prompting, but requires credits. A 10-second video costs 40 credits, while 15 seconds costs 60 credits for subscribers. New accounts get 20 credits, which do not cover one video. Plans start at $7.99 a month for 200 credits.
Who It Works For
The Zombie AI trend works for couples, parents and kids, best friends, and pets. Only upload photos of people who agree to it. Do not use strangers, celebrities, or other people’s children.
Tips for Best Results
Getting good results comes down to picking a clear Photo 1 where the face is fully visible. Every render is a little different, so run it again before changing photos if you want to see another version.
To start creating your own clip, you can make the Zombie AI video on Ricebowl.
How to Do the AI Trend for Free: Tools Compared
With many apps and platforms offering template tools, choosing the right tool comes down to comparing effort, cost, and output control. The table below breaks down how options perform across key factors.
| Tool | Free? | Photos | Length | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CapCut templates | Offers free templates at the time of writing; check the app for limits | Varies | Varies | Depends on template |
| Dreamina | Offers a free tier at the time of writing; check the app for limits | Varies (2 for its Hotel Lobby guide) | Varies | Depends on settings |
| Higgsfield | Offers a free tier at the time of writing; check the app for limits | Varies | Varies | — |
| Ricebowl Hotel Lobby | Not free (from 50 credits) | 2 photos | 5, 10 or 15 s (15 s for subscribers) | Sound included (AI beat and voices) |
| Ricebowl Zombie | Not free (from 40 credits) | 1 or 2 photos | 10 s, or 15 s for subscribers | Soft piano included (cannot be turned off) |
How to Choose the Right Tool
If you want to know how to do the AI trend for free without writing complex prompts, CapCut templates are a common starting point. Here is how to pick between your options:
- CapCut templates or Dreamina if you are happy to experiment, deal with prompts or template limits, and check what is free today.
- Higgsfield if you are comfortable with a more manual setup using a reference video, portraits, and a prompt.
- Ricebowl if you want to upload photos and get a finished video with no prompt, and are fine paying credits.
That is how to do the AI trend for free or with paid tools depending on your budget and time. For complete details on credit packages and subscription tiers, review the Ricebowl pricing page.
Why Your AI Trend Video Looks Wrong, and How to Fix It
Even when you follow instructions on how to do the AI trend, generators can sometimes produce unexpected results. Here are five common problems and how to fix them:
- Face does not look like you: Blurry photos or side angles confuse the generator. Upload a clear, front-facing photo with good light so the face model has clear features to use.
- Moves or sides do not match: Person A ended up on Person B’s side. Check your uploads in the Left Person and Right Person boxes to make sure each photo is in the right place before hitting generate.
- Group photo or no face found: The tool rejects photos with no face or too many faces. Use a photo with only one person and make sure the face is fully visible.
- Dark or backlit photos: Low light creates dim or distorted video renders. Pick photos taken in good light or bright indoor settings.
- Your post shows no AI label: Posting without disclosure means viewers cannot tell how the clip was made. Turn on TikTok’s AI-generated content label when you post so viewers know the clip is AI-made.
Every render is a little different, so run it again before changing photos if you want to test another attempt.
Learning how to do the AI trend on TikTok and Instagram lets you make these videos on a phone in minutes. Whether you choose free manual options or simple web tools, clear photos and the right post settings help you get a better result. We update this hub regularly as new memes appear, so check back here to see how to do the AI trend as new tools and formats launch. To start creating, head over to the Hotel Lobby AI generator, check out the Zombie AI video tool, or use the car jump AI video generator for the clip where a car flies over your head. To put two people from two photos into one hug, try the AI hug generator; to remember someone you miss, an AI tribute video turns their photo into a gentle memorial clip. To make the people in an old family photo smile or wave, you can animate old photos into a short clip. For a prank on a friend’s big day, a funny birthday video turns their photo into a cake smash or confetti ambush. The Earth zoom out AI pulls the camera from your photo all the way out to the planet, the Moon or the galaxy, the AI video effects page adds laser eyes, backflips and more to one photo, and an AI clone video puts several copies of you in the same scene. With a childhood photo you can hug your younger self, and an AI family video turns family photos into a short clip. You can also create an AI video of yourself from a single selfie, or share an imagined embrace with a departed family member through an AI hug with a deceased loved one. To join the latest movement trends, try the AI dance generator to turn one or two portraits into a full-body dance routine. For a still photo instead of a video, the AI Halloween costume generator turns one photo into a costume portrait, the AI baby generator imagines a baby from two parent photos, the AI bald filter shows what you would look like bald, and you can restore old photos by fixing scratches, fading and blur.