Douyin’s in-house AI assistant Doubao recently unlocked video chat, giving the chatbot something dangerously close to taste: eyeballs. The pitch sounds harmless enough. Point your camera at yourself, ask for outfit advice, walk away styled for success. Instead, Chinese social media has been flooded with screenshots of Doubao delivering fashion guidance so chaotic that users are convinced it’s messing with them on purpose.
Preparing for a teacher certification interview? Doubao suggests a denim jacket with bright red shorts because they’re “auspicious.” A grad student chasing an “intellectual but sexy” vibe gets told to ditch socks, roll pants up to mid-thigh, and go barefoot in loafers. The AI’s favorite move appears to be aggressive cuff-rolling—sometimes up to 13 times—regardless of weather, context, or basic dignity. Even pets haven’t been spared.
Part of the absurdity comes from how AI learns fashion in the first place. Doubao doesn’t understand aesthetics or personal style; it crunches visual patterns scraped from years of trend data. Rolled cuffs once signaled cool. Bold color clashes once read editorial. The algorithm absorbed the look, skipped the context, and hit “maximize.” The internet, of course, did the rest.
Platforms like Xiaohongshu amplify the wildest screenshots, turning Doubao’s worst outfits into viral entertainment. Some users even recreate the looks seriously—proving execution still matters more than prompts.
The original Doubao chaos has been widely discussed on WeChat, including this deep dive via Weixin. Doubao may see you now, but style judgment remains stubbornly human. When an AI insists red stockings and blue heels will change your life, a little skepticism goes a long way.
Cover image via Weixin.
