If your WhatsApp groups are buzzing today, it’s probably because of a video that both jolts you with an uncanny familiarity and introduces you to something entirely new. Since “Tom and Jerry: The AI Version” has been trending, our most beloved cat and mouse duo of all ages (85+) might be among the stars of a high-tech rebirth.
For those of us who have had Hanna-Barbera’s hand-drawn chaos pass around our entire lives, the sight of these characters being reconfigured through a lens of AI is a “full-circle” moment. It serves as an indication that although we are older nowadays, the spirit of slapstick has effectively become immortal.
The Tech Behind the Chase: From Pixels to Prompts
This isn't just a basic filter or some cheap CGI remake. The most trending videos regularly received with the tagline “Enjoy the AI version” are the result of cutting-edge generative models released in late 2025 and early 2026.
- NVIDIA & Stanford’s TTT-MLP: A substantial portion of high-quality Tom and Jerry AI content comes courtesy of an agreement between NVIDIA and Stanford University. Using a method called Test-Time Training (TTT), the researchers trained models on hours of classic 1940s footage to train an AI to “understand” cartoon physics for instance, how Tom’s body should flatten out like a pancake or how Jerry should zip through a mousehole.
- Sora 2 & Veo 3.1: New consumer-grade solutions, such as OpenAI’s Sora 2 and Google’s Veo 3.1, have allowed ordinary users to produce 2D or 3D “realistic” versions of these characters by typing a prompt. The consequences are usually in excruciating detail: individual strands of fur are shown as Tom lays out his latest (and surefire to fail) trap.
Tom and Jerry has gotten old .....like us.
— D Prasanth Nair (@DPrasanthNair) February 24, 2026
Enjoy the AI version
Rcvd from WA pic.twitter.com/cehKIrEvVT
Why the “AI Version” Hits Differently
The AI version of Tom and Jerry is all fascinating beyond technology it’s about the uncanny valley of nostalgia.
- Hyper-Realism: Most of these AI treatments take place in a contemporary apartment or a slick 2026 office. If there’s been a “photorealistic” Tom chasing a “real” Jerry on the other end of a glass coffee table, a surreal bridge is created between our fantasy childhood and the life we might experience as adults.
- The "Soul" Debate: As these clips rise to virality, however, they’ve incited a vigorous debate. Many followers hold that although the AI versions are visually gorgeous this time, they no longer retain either the "soul" or timing of our hand-drawn frames—which are perfect pictures of the way life would have looked if you'd imagined.
- Endless Possibilities: AI enables "infinite episodes." Not just into the old vault of classic shorts, but creating their own “lost episodes” where Tom and Jerry drive to the Taj Mahal or travel through a future Mars colony.
The Verdict: A New Chapter, Not an End
To watch Tom and Jerry “get old” with us is a poignant reminder of the technological advance of our time. From the ink-and-paint cells of the 1940s to neural networks of 2026, the core joy of cat chasing mouse unsuccessfully still happens.
Whether you’re a little bit “glitchy” with the AI version or if you’re a complete delight, it’s obvious that Tom and Jerry are not going anywhere, they’re simply upgrading their hardware.
