A sharp increase in search queries surrounding OpenAI’s flagship AI tool, ChatGPT, has been registered across India over the past 24 hours. Data from Google Trends reveals that the search term “chatgpt download” witnessed significant volatility and sustained interest, driven largely by users looking to access mobile tools to join a massive viral photo trend sweeping social media.
In India, interest in “chatgpt download” opened strong, with peak values hovering near maximum interest (100) on September 10, before seeing periodic dips and rebounds through the evening. Late-night and early-morning hours recorded brief pullbacks, followed by a steady upward trajectory into the morning of September 11, when search interest gathered momentum once again, climbing past the 50 mark.
1980s retro AI trend fuels surge in queries
The primary catalyst behind the spike in search activity is the viral “1980s AI Photo Prompt” trend dominating platforms like Instagram and X. Users across India, ranging from social media creators to public figures, are uploading modern selfies to ChatGPT and prompting the AI to reimagine them in authentic 1980s retro avatars.
These prompts use detailed instructions to preserve a person’s exact facial structure while adding classic 80s elements like big, voluminous hair, vintage Bollywood-inspired outfits, saree/mundu regional styles, warm studio lighting, and analog film grain. As users turn to features like Instagram’s “Add Yours” sticker chain, demand to download the app and generate personalised retro portraits has skyrocketed.
AI retro trend leads to queries for related apps
The search ecosystem surrounding the AI tool saw a blend of breakout queries and specific trending prompts:
Breakout queries: Terms such as Photopea (a web-based photo editor), chatgpt.com (the direct browser portal), and ‘What the Font’ recorded massive spikes (“Breakout” status), indicating users are actively combining web utility tools with AI capabilities.
1980s AI photo prompt ChatGPT: Surged by +700%, directly reflecting the viral craze where netizens generate 1980s-style studio photos and retro visuals.
Prompt seen ChatGPT: Grew by +500%, pointing to growing curiosity around specific copy-paste prompt formats circulating across online communities.
The trend highlights a massive intersection of social media nostalgia and AI utility, which is what is driving Indian consumers to download dedicated ChatGPT apps across iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows to participate in the viral wave.