AI Generates More Memes, but Human Touch Still Wins in Humor and Creativity

A recent study led by researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, LMU Munich, and TU Darmstadt has delved into the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) in generating internet memes. The study aimed to explore how humans and AI collaborate to create memes, comparing three groups: humans working alone, humans working alongside a cutting-edge language model (LLM), and the LLM generating memes independently. The research involved participants creating memes using popular templates such as Doge, Futurama Fry, and Boromir’s famous line, "One does not simply…." A separate group of nearly 100 individuals then rated these memes based on three metrics: creativity, humor, and shareability. Surprisingly, memes generated entirely by AI scored the highest on average across all categories. However, when looking at the top-rated memes, a different trend emerged: human-created memes were rated as the funniest, while human-AI collaborations excelled in creativity and shareability. Zhikun Wu, a master's candidate at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and co-author of the study, explained, "AI is great at generating lots of ideas quickly, but quantity doesn't always mean quality." The AI's ability to draw from vast datasets allows it to produce content that generally appeals to a wide audience, but the best, most engaging memes still come from human creators. The study's participants who used the AI assistant reported generating more ideas with less effort. However, fewer than half of them interacted with the AI more than once, and only a small number utilized it iteratively. This limited engagement suggests that the full potential of human-AI collaborative creativity has yet to be realized. According to Wu, humor requires more than just punchlines; it involves surprise, cultural context, and emotional nuance—elements that AI currently struggles to grasp. The researchers concluded that while AI can enhance productivity and generate content that appeals to broad audiences, human creativity remains crucial for content that deeply resonates, particularly in humor. They recommend that future AI tools should focus on supporting iterative, dialog-based creativity, enabling users to refine and shape AI-generated content into something more meaningful and engaging. The study, titled "One Does Not Simply Meme Alone: Evaluating Co-Creativity Between LLMs and Humans in the Generation of Humor," was published on the ACM Digital Library and presented at the 2025 International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces in Cagliari, Italy. Industry insiders view the findings as a significant step toward understanding the strengths and limitations of AI in creative processes. They note that while AI excels in rapid idea generation and broad appeal, the unique human touch is indispensable for content that genuinely connects with its audience. The study underscores the importance of developing AI tools that complement, rather than replace, human creativity. KTH Royal Institute of Technology, LMU Munich, and TU Darmstadt are leading institutions in the field of AI and user interaction, known for their innovative research in technology and human behavior.