Distracted boyfriend memes distorted by generative AI
AI-generated videos are currently getting a bit of attention, with many AI enthusiasts experimenting with the technology using popular meme templates.
AI-generated videos have come a long way since the video of Will Smith eating spaghetti went viral. A Chinese AI video-generating app called KwaiCut used to create a video of a man eating noodles that looked pretty good (even if his fingers were a bit clumsy).
OpenAI's Sora has released a number of select demo videos, some of which are very impressive, but the models are not yet publicly available.
Luma Labs got ahead of them by releasing a free-to-try AI video generator called “Dream Machine.” Like the AI image generator, it only takes a few instructions to generate something worth sharing. And people have been posting their best results online.
Is AI-generated video worth watching?
AI-generated videos have improved dramatically and will continue to improve, but even the best results resemble a fever dream because the people depicted in the videos tend to shift shape. As with all generative AI models, so-called “hallucinations” are inevitable.
Reproducing human movement is no easy task even for a skilled animator, and automating the process can produce some truly magical results.
One of the most disturbing videos comes from the “distracted boyfriend” meme, in which a boyfriend begins pursuing a distracted woman, who for some reason slowly transforms into a child.
This meme's cousin, “Distracted Girlfriend,” produced an even more shocking video in which the girlfriend's body is twisted as if she's undergoing an exorcism, a veritable nightmare.
A common reaction GIF featuring an infuriated Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) had a bit of a twist, revealing a totally different face for the character, invented by AI.
One of the most interesting side effects of “hallucinations” is the creation of people who don't exist. For example, Ellen DeGeneres's infamous 2014 Oscars selfie was converted into a video that showed an unknown celebrity wearing sunglasses, an AI-generated character who seemed a bit surprised to be there.
The video version of the cover of the iconic album Abbey Road also saw the birth of a “fifth Beatle” joining the other members.
Interestingly, this isn't the first time an AI model has generated a fifth member of The Beatles.
While AI enthusiasts seemed impressed with the animated abomination, critics mocked the video, pointing out that the generative AI unintentionally used a surprising amount of water and electricity to create the creepy video.
AI-altered memes have also inspired parodies, with YouTube/TikTok creator Sonny “Yunglimabean” Otieno imitating the unique, quirky movements of the AI-generated videos.
Given how difficult it is for a professional filmmaking team to conceive, direct, and shoot a single compelling scene, it is unlikely that generative AI will ever produce results that are truly comparable to human-created work.
The technology has no capacity for understanding context, emotion, nuance or perspective, and if there is any artistic integrity in this it may simply be in the realm of body horror.
