A recent study by researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, LMU Munich, and TU Darmstadt has delved into the realm of humor creation, specifically focusing on the collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) in generating internet memes. The study, the first large-scale investigation of its kind, compared the performance of three groups: humans working independently, humans co-creating with a cutting-edge language model (LLM), and memes generated solely by the LLM. The participants used popular meme templates such as Doge, Futurama Fry, and Boromir's iconic "One does not simply…" line to create memes. These memes were then evaluated by a separate group of almost 100 people on scales measuring creativity, humor, and shareability. While AI-generated memes generally scored higher than those created by humans alone or through human-AI collaboration, the top-rated memes told a different story. Humans were found to produce the funniest memes, and human-AI collaborations stood out in terms of creativity and shareability. According to co-author Zhikun Wu, a master's candidate at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AI excels in generating a high volume of ideas quickly but often produces content that is "solid but average." Human curation and refinement were crucial for elevating AI-generated content to a level that truly resonates with viewers. Participants working with AI assistants reported increased productivity and reduced effort, yet fewer than half engaged more than once, and only a small number used the AI iteratively. This lack of interaction may have constrained the potential for more effective co-creativity. Wu emphasizes that humor involves more than just delivering punchlines; it requires elements of surprise, cultural context, and emotional nuance—elements that AI currently struggles to grasp. The study highlights a significant challenge in human-AI collaboration: while AI can appeal to a broad audience, human creativity remains essential for content that connects deeply and meaningfully. The researchers suggest that future AI tools should focus on supporting iterative, dialog-based creativity, enabling users to engage more deeply with the creative process and refine AI-generated ideas into something more impactful. This approach would not only enhance productivity but also ensure that the final product is more aligned with human sensibilities and cultural norms. The findings of the study were published in the ACM Digital Library and presented at the 2025 International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces in Cagliari, Italy. The study underscores the importance of blending human and AI capabilities to achieve the best outcomes in creative fields, particularly in humor. Industry insiders and experts in AI and user interfaces have lauded the study for its innovative approach to evaluating human-AI collaboration. They believe that the research provides valuable insights into the strengths and limitations of AI in creative tasks. While AI can significantly boost the speed and volume of content generation, the nuanced, culturally relevant, and emotionally resonant aspects of humor still require a human touch. KTH Royal Institute of Technology, a leading research university in Sweden, is known for its contributions to technology and engineering. LMU Munich and TU Darmstadt, both respected institutions in Germany, bring expertise in psychology and computer science to the collaborative study. Together, these universities are pushing the boundaries of AI-human interaction in various fields, including entertainment and social media.