A teacher in Brazil found a way to answer one of childhood’s biggest questions before recess was even over.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Instead of just listening to the answers, fourth-grade teacher Giovanna Macedo decided to show her students what those futures might actually look like. Using ChatGPT, she created AI-generated images of each child as an adult working in their dream career, and their reactions quickly turned into a viral moment online.

One by one, the students saw older versions of themselves on screen.

Davi burst out laughing after seeing himself as an astronaut. Eva squealed when she saw herself working in animation. Nicolas stared at a version of himself as a goalkeeper for FC Barcelona. Ana Clara, who dreams of becoming a biologist, covered her face after seeing herself surrounded by animals.

“I turned all my students into their dream profession,” Macedo wrote on Instagram. “They thanked me, they cried. They said it gave them a chance to imagine themselves a few years from now and realize they need to hit certain goals to make that dream come true.”

She explained that she created each image individually, writing short descriptions based on conversations she had with the children about their interests and ambitions.

The video spread quickly across social media and was later reposted by the official OpenAI ChatGPT account, which called Macedo “Teacher of the Year.”

While the reactions online have been mixed, many others praised the project as a thoughtful and creative use of the technology.