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| Getty Images; Rebecca Zisser |
There’s a trend that's been sweeping across TikTok and the self-help corners of the internet: using artificial intelligence to "manifest" your dream life.
It’s been bubbling for a while now. My colleague Ana Altchek first reported on it back in September, noting how people were integrating ChatGPT and other AI tools into their manifestation routines digital affirmations, customized vision boards, and even entire fantasy narratives designed to rewire your mindset.
The concept? Feed your goals into a chatbot, and let it craft an idyllic story of your future life complete with vivid imagery, romantic scenarios, and big dreams made tangible. Then, prompt it to give you a detailed action plan to turn that fantasy into reality.
Sounds intriguing, right?
So I gave it a try. But here's why I'm still firmly in the do-not-manifest-with-AI camp.
ChatGPT Showed Me a Dream Life But Then Things Got Weird
To see what all the fuss was about, I decided to test the trend myself. I prompted ChatGPT to write a day-in-the-life scenario based on an ultra-romantic version of my goals: I live in a sun-drenched villa in Tuscany, my skin glows like I bathe in moonlight, I’m happily married with two kids, and I spend my mornings gently harvesting tomatoes.
The result? Well, it was undeniably poetic.
“The sun slipped gently over the Tuscan hills, casting gold across the rolling vineyards and awakening Villa Rosabella, your sun-washed estate tucked among olive trees and cypress-lined roads…”
It was the stuff of Instagram reels and lifestyle influencer blogs. And I’ll admit it was fun to read. But when I asked the AI for a step-by-step guide to actually achieve this dream life, the advice quickly jumped the tracks.
For the glowing skin, I got the usual tips: book a dermatologist consultation, drink more water, exfoliate.
But for the part about "becoming rich," ChatGPT breezily suggested I “scale income to $500K+ in annual revenue.” Right easy enough if you’re Jeff Bezos, less so if you’re working three side hustles and budgeting for groceries.
Sure, if I had been more specific about my goals and resources, the plan might’ve been more grounded. But it made me realize something deeper: this whole AI manifestation thing just isn’t for me.
I’m Not Here to Manifest I’m Just Here to Live
A few months ago, I DM’ed some of the users promoting AI manifestation on TikTok. Many of them were enthusiastic full of hope and clarity about their future goals. They genuinely believed that visualizing success through tools like ChatGPT had helped shift their mindset. And maybe that’s true.
But I also noticed something else: many of them were just starting out in their adult lives. They were in their early 20s, setting intentions, dreaming big. Meanwhile, I’m in a stage of life where my primary goal is to simply ride it out with grace and maybe one functioning tomato plant.
The Rise of AI Manifestation Videos
Recently, the trend has evolved beyond text. Now people are using AI to create videos of their dream lives. According to a report in The New York Times, tools like Runway, Google’s Veo 3, and Freepik are being used to turn real images into AI-generated fantasy scenarios.
Imagine uploading a photo of yourself and getting back a full cinematic reel of you sipping espresso on a Tuscan terrace, wearing silk pajamas, your AI-generated skin filtered to perfection. It's like a vision board on steroids personalized, animated, and algorithmically idealized.
Naturally, I tried it. I logged into Freepik one of the tools featured in the article but hit a paywall. Video creation required a paid account. That was enough of a deterrent for me. (If I’m supposed to scale my income to half a million, I should probably stop spending it on AI subscriptions.)
But honestly, even if it had been free, I still don’t think I would’ve gone through with it.
Dreaming Isn’t the Problem But Do We Need AI to Do It?
It’s not that I’d be jealous of my AI-generated self, or that I fear some sci-fi scenario where my digital twin becomes sentient and takes over my life.
I just don’t want to see a video of a fictional version of myself living a fantasy.
Not because it would be sad. Not because it would be dangerous. But because to me it’s unnecessary. I already know what I wish for. I already imagine different futures when I’m walking the dog or doing dishes. I don’t need a synthetic version of myself lounging in digital vineyards to motivate me.
To be clear, I’m not knocking manifestation. I know it works for many people. If AI helps you envision your goals and motivates you to take real steps toward them, that’s fantastic. But I also think it’s OK to not do that. It’s OK to not be in hustle mode 24/7. It’s OK to say, “Actually, I’m good with my current mess of a garden and a decent night’s sleep.”
No AI Needed for This Life
There’s something reassuring about letting your goals live in your mind and not on a screen. I don’t need a glowing AI me to inspire real me.
Let the TikTok dreamers build their villas in Italy. I’ll be here tending to my scraggly cherry tomato plant, sipping lukewarm coffee, and living a life that’s far from perfect but mine nonetheless.
