Memes can be funny. But when a large corporation gets involved, the fun usually dies down.
As noted by Android AuthorityGoogle is currently working on a new feature for Google Photos called “Me Meme”, although Android Authority believes it may be called “Meme Me” upon release. The feature is simple: Using AI (sigh), you can turn photos of yourself or a family member into “your favorite memes.” Chill.
Here's how it's supposed to work: You select a “meme template” along with a sample photo of yourself, a friend, or a family member. This photo reportedly needs to be saved to Google Photos before you can use it here. While this feature is not a requirement, it does encourage you to take a selfie that clearly shows your face. This makes sense: if the AI is going to insert your image into a meme, it needs an accurate idea of what you look like. Otherwise, you'll just create a meme with some stranger's face on it.
As of now, the only meme that Me Meme is currently promoting is “This is fine“, a meme taken from the comic strip by K.C. Green about a dog sitting in a burning room. Android Authority wasn't able to get the feature to work, but has seen promotional images of the feature in action, showing a sample selfie and the end result. It's important to note that the Me Meme menu also includes a picture of a person doing something. Again – and I can't stress this enough – awesome.
What are your thoughts so far?
Even with Google's “official” meme generation here, I'm not sure I can tell that the AI image should be based on a reference selfie. Unless the AI actually picks up on a person's likeness, Me Meme loses any appeal it might otherwise have. Why would anyone send a custom AI-generated version of a meme with some random person as the subject? Although, based on this, one might ask, why would anyone send an AI-generated meme about themselves?
This could be Google's Bitmoji moment. This feature may never be implemented. Either way, the era of artificial intelligence is certainly interesting, if not that cool.
