The 1980s have made an unlikely comeback on social media. Instagram and X are currently awash with retro-style portraits, with users using AI tools to give their present-day photographs an old-school 1980s makeover. The nostalgia wave has also caught the attention of several political leaders, who have shared their own AI-generated versions.Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was among the political figures to take part. Sharing an AI-generated portrait, Goyal wrote, “Vibing to the 80s trend.” In the image, he is seen in a grey suit, white shirt, and aviator sunglasses. Sepia tones, film grain and a faded finish give the photograph the appearance of an old studio portrait.Vibing to the 80s trend pic.twitter.com/nvzhrMDg1T— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 8, 2026 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also joined in, posting his own retro-inspired AI image. “Getting to any trend which has nostalgia attached to it. Back to the 80s eh!” Sarma wrote.Getting to any trend which has nostalgia attached to it Back to the 80s eh! pic.twitter.com/5pxFPHYscU— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 9, 2026 Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan shared a similar throwback, posing in a sweater and writing, “80s called, I answered.”80s called, I answered pic.twitter.com/piFDpYnGLV— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) September 9, 2026 BJP MP Anurag Thakur also got on board, sharing a retro-style photograph on Instagram with the caption, “joining the 80s trend.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anurag Singh Thakur (@official.anuragthakur) Union Minister Chirag Paswan also shared his take on the 1980s-inspired trend.Vibing to the 80s trend…#VibingToThe80s #80sNostalgia pic.twitter.com/dXp75gtNxA— युवा बिहारी चिराग पासवान (@iChiragPaswan) September 9, 2026 Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also posted an AI-generated version of himself on X. In the image, he is seen wearing sunglasses, a blazer, and an open shirt while posing beside a car.Story continues below this adHowever, Rijiju followed it up with something that was not AI-generated. “Everyone’s asking ChatGPT what they would’ve looked like in the ’80s. I have decided to go short cut. No AI & No ChatGPT. This is real me in the ’80s,” he wrote in his next post, sharing an actual photograph of himself from the decade.Everyone’s asking the ChatGPT what they would’ve looked like in the ’80s.I have decided to go short cut. No AI & No ChatGPT. This is real me in ’80s pic.twitter.com/f2302ZlQx1— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 9, 2026 Congress MP Shashi Tharoor took a similar route, but with photographs from his own past. “The ’80s seem to be back, courtesy of AI,” Tharoor wrote on X. “I thought I’d join the trend the old-fashioned way.” He then shared photographs from the 1980s featuring himself and his sons, Ishaan and Kanishk.Me in the 80s! [also starring: @ishaantharoor (in red shirt) @kanishktharoor (maroon shirt)] #80sTrend pic.twitter.com/sKmYJMuSxD— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 9, 2026 View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shashi Tharoor (@shashitharoor) The Uttarakhand Youth Congress also joined the nostalgia wave by sharing AI-generated images of Lok Sabha Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. The photographs showed Gandhi recreated in 1980s-inspired settings and outfits.Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury, however, did not need AI to recreate the decade. Sharing an actual photograph from the 1980s, she wrote, “Everyone’s asking ChatGPT what they would’ve looked like in the ’80s. Me? I’ve got receipts. No AI needed. This is actually me in the ’80s.”Everyone’s asking ChatGPT what they would’ve looked like in the ’80s.Me? I’ve got receipts. No AI needed. This is actually me in the ’80s. ☺️(On the cover of Savvy!) pic.twitter.com/enIk9YPkvq— Renuka Chowdhury (@RenukaCCongress) September 9, 2026 Story continues below this adHow to create your own ’80s portraitYou do not need Photoshop or professional editing skills to recreate the look. With a clear photograph and a detailed prompt, ChatGPT can transform a regular picture into an image inspired by the 1980s.Open ChatGPT and start a new conversation.Tap the plus icon and upload a clear photograph. A well-lit, front-facing picture with a relatively uncluttered background generally works best.Tell ChatGPT what kind of 1980s look you want, including the clothes, hairstyle, accessories, setting and lighting.Ask it to preserve your recognisable facial features and natural skin tone while changing the styling and surroundings.Look at the result and make follow-up requests if you want to adjust specific details. You can refine the same image rather than starting over each time.Prompt to create the ’80s trend photo“Reimagine this image as a glamorous 1980s Indian film portrait. Retain the subject’s recognisable facial features and natural skin tone. Add voluminous, softly curled hair, a bold and colourful outfit, statement jewellery, warm studio-style lighting, rich cinematic tones and a subtle vintage film grain. Ensure the final image looks realistic, polished and elegant.”