DJ Fresh, Tbose and Kaya 959 Stars Get 1980s Makeovers in Viral AI Photo Trend

• A viral AI trend is allowing social media users to reimagine themselves as 1980s versions of themselves, complete with retro style
• Kaya 959 joined the trend by giving several of its on-air personalities virtual makeovers inspired by the decade
• The line-up includes DJ Fresh, Uncle T, Andy Maqondwana, Glen Lewis, Skhumba and Kgomotso Meso

An AI-powered social media trend is sweeping timelines, and South African radio has jumped right in. Kaya 959 has transformed several of its beloved presenters into retro versions of themselves using AI-generated photographs styled after the 1980s, giving fans a fun glimpse at what their favourite voices might have looked like decades ago.

The trend, which has gone viral across social media platforms, sees users generate photographs that capture the unmistakable visual identity of the 1980s. Think big hair, bold fashion choices, vintage vehicles and grainy photography that feels lifted straight from an old family album. All it takes is a current photograph, an AI platform and a prompt describing the desired aesthetic.

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SA celebrities join the viral 80s AI challenge

The Johannesburg-based station gave six of its presenters the 1980s treatment. Kaya Breakfast host DJ Fresh features in the collection alongside The Best T in the City presenter Uncle T, whose full name is Tbose Mokwele. Feel Good's Andy Maqondwana also received the makeover, as did the entire Drive 959 team: Glen Lewis, Masked Singer SA judge Skhumba and Kgomotso Meso.

For some of the personalities, the AI creations carry a particularly playful edge, since several of them were already alive during the 1980s. The images offer a creative, if entirely fictional, interpretation of what their younger years might have looked like through the lens of the era.

What makes the trend so appealing is its accessibility. Users do not need to dig through old family albums or source vintage clothing and cameras to participate. A single photograph fed into an AI platform, paired with a detailed prompt describing a 1980s setting, is enough to produce a convincing result complete with period-appropriate styling and colour tones.

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The Kaya 959 collection features each presenter reimagined in the distinctive look of the decade, from retro surroundings to the kind of bold, oversized clothing and hairstyles that defined the era's fashion.

Sizwe Dhlomo reacts to Google mix-up with DJ Fresh

Briefly News previously reported that a fan told Sizwe Dhlomo that a Google search for his name pulled up a photo of DJ Fresh instead.

Dhlomo responded to the mix-up with just four words, and his reaction caught Mzansi's attention.

Source: Briefly News