People are going viral for building homemade computers inside purses and the trend is being called an anti-AI statement

A new anti-AI trend with people building homemade computers inside purses is taking over TikTok, and it’s going viral because it is unlike anything you’d expect from the tech world.

Instead of sleek, mass-produced laptops, these creations are colorful, chaotic, and completely unique.

One creator even built a homemade computer in a Dunkin’ Donuts Wedding Cake Munchkin box.

And surprisingly, even though they’re the cutest little tech products you’ve ever seen, they’re also making a serious point about the future of tech.

What is a cyberdeck?

This creative tech trend revolves around something called a ‘cyberdeck’, a DIY, fully functional computer built from scratch using parts like Raspberry Pi boards, tiny keyboards, and mini screens.

Annike Tan, also known as Ube Boobey, helped push the trend into the spotlight with her now viral builds, including a computer hidden inside a decorative clamshell purse covered in pearls and gold details.

Her videos have racked up tens of millions of views, inspiring others to ditch traditional designs and build their own devices out of unexpected objects.

Speaking to Supercar Blondie, the creator said ‘I inspired myself, which sounds really cringe and arrogant, but everyone has their own aesthetics’.

“I bought this purse because it suits what I like and building my cyberdeck in it just made sense to me because the other cyberdeck aesthetics didn’t suit me,” she said.

“I didn’t expect it to go viral at all, to be honest. I just posted it because I sort of wanted to use my TikTok as a personal diary.”

Another creator turned a mini Dunkin’ Donut box into a gaming console, while others have crafted whimsical gadgets that reflect their personalities.

Cyberdecks themselves aren’t new, they date back to 1980s cyberpunk culture and were originally imagined as rugged tools for hackers.

But this new wave flips that idea on its head, swapping industrial designs for hyper-personal, artistic creations.

How these DIY cyberdecks are an anti-AI statement

What makes this trend really interesting is the message behind it; many creators see cyberdecks as a quiet rebellion against the rise of AI-generated everything and the uniform look of modern tech.

As Tan said: “Capitalism has pushed minimalism down our throats for so long, we can find this in our architecture, interior, tech, and products (they’re all kinda sleek and boring).”

“People want personalized things now, things that reflect their inner world.”

Instead of relying on algorithms or buying identical devices, people are choosing to build something completely their own.

As Tan explained in her videos and TikToks, the goal is to push back against the homogenizing effect of AI, and reconnect with how technology actually works.

She told Supercar Blondie: “It’s also an anti-AI and intellectual movement.”

“People want to learn tech because we’re entering an era where everything we use is tech, but no one really knows how it works, and cyberdecks are a great entry-level way to start learning,” she said.

Tan still uses her normal phone and laptop for content creation, but the Raspberry Pi-powered tiny purse computer gives her some disconnect from being constantly online all the time, despite it being digital.

She (and other creators) don’t use their Cyberdecks for high-powered digital work, but they’re good for small games and reaching the internet in a way that many people used early computers: sporadically and for fun.

These devices aren’t meant to replace smartphones or laptops, in fact, most creators admit they still use their regular tech daily, but that’s not really the point.

Cyberdecks are about creativity, experimentation, and learning; they encourage people to understand hardware, customize their tools, and express themselves in a way that modern, polished gadgets rarely allow.

Tan followed up by saying “People want to rethink their relationship with technology.”

“There was a trend recently of choosing analogue over digital, like replacing your notes app with a notebook, replacing looking at your phone clock with a wrist watch to be less reliant on your phone.

“This mimics that, but on a more sustainable degree because Cyberdecks are still digital, but they’re way less distracting than a phone!”

In a world where AI can generate almost anything instantly, these homemade computers inside purses are proving that sometimes, doing it yourself is the whole appeal, and what’s more anti-AI than that?