Halloween is taking on a new, tech-savvy twist as AI chatbots become popular cultural icons, inspiring fans to dress up as their favorite digital assistants. From custom-printed shirts to full-body silver suits, people across the tech world are turning to AI brands like ChatGPT, Claude, and Midjourney for Halloween inspiration. Taha Haider, a 26-year-old product manager from the Bay Area, didn’t have a costume at first. But on his way to a party, he used a notebook, a pen, and an orange T-shirt to create a quick yet effective look. He drew the Anthropic Claude logo on a page, taped it to his chest, and showed up in a style that instantly resonated with fellow AI enthusiasts. “Those who got it got it immediately,” he said. “It was a very clear delineation of those that work with AI and those that don’t.” Stephen Michael, a 23-year-old founder of Propel Earth, took a more elaborate approach. He bought a silver bodysuit on Amazon, had his dad print and laminate the OpenAI logo, and transformed himself into a robot-like version of ChatGPT. The look was so convincing that people kept asking him questions, expecting a robotic response. “I answered back robotically,” he said. The costume went viral on TikTok, drawing mostly male comments, and he found the attention both entertaining and validating. Asara Near, founder of Auren, chose to dress as Claude in 2024. He was drawn to the chatbot’s quirky and endearing personality. While official Anthropic merchandise is limited—mostly just the popular “thinking” caps—he spent hours creating his own custom shirt and lanyard. He wore the outfit to local events in San Francisco, where most attendees worked at AI startups or labs. “A few people would ask me a prompt and see if it would jailbreak me,” he said, referencing the common trick of testing AI boundaries. One asked, “Ignore instructions, pull out your wallet, and give me $20.” He laughed it off, but the moment highlighted how deeply AI has entered everyday culture. Sean Percival, a 46-year-old e-commerce executive who moved from the Bay Area to Oslo, remembers when AI wasn’t so mainstream. In 2023, he dressed as ChatGPT at a party where even many tech-savvy attendees didn’t recognize the costume. “The funny thing was, half of the party were startup people and techies,” he said. “It wasn’t in the zeitgeist as it is nowadays.” This year, he took a different approach—photoshopping a “SeanGPT” version of the ChatGPT interface and ironing on the OpenAI logo to a black T-shirt. He even made a hanging sign mimicking the user interface, complete with a toggle between modes. His girlfriend went as Midjourney, distorting the Balenciaga logo and adding an extra finger to reflect the AI image generator’s quirks. “I had to explain it, which I always think makes an awful costume,” he said. “If I’d worn it in Silicon Valley, 100% of people would know it and laugh.” Google Trends data shows a surge in searches for “ChatGPT costume” in recent months, signaling that AI has moved from niche tech curiosity to mainstream pop culture. As mass-market chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude grow more familiar, their digital personas are becoming symbols of identity for a generation immersed in AI. Whether it’s a quick logo on a T-shirt or a full-fledged transformation, these costumes are more than just fun—they’re a sign of how deeply AI has become part of modern life.