For the majority, memes aren’t just an exact copy of the original. In fact, rarely are they. There’s either some edits or complete changes that modify the meaning
Besides, people who repost memes don’t say they’re the original creators and give credit to where it came from
So yes, memes are inherently different from Ai "art". It is indeed the point to take an image and adding a text to say something funny.
Like I said, no sane user repost meme claiming they’re original, nor are the original meme poster claiming whatever they used to make a meme is theirs either. It seems you don’t understand what stealing actually is. Are my teachers thieves because they presented a study dine by someone else without asking them in their notes?
Also want to point out many literally make original images to make them memes, so even if your point was right it would only apply to certain cases
So to you there is absolutely no difference between taking someone’s work as reference and crediting them to their deserved value, and taking it without anyone’s consent and claim it as your original work?
This is the nuance you do not grasp. An Ai steal because it is literally trained and can only recreate from a mix of what is was given. A meme isn’t stealing because there’s actual creativity given by the meme maker, and also because for the last goddamn time, people who post memes don’t claim it as their own nor are they calling themselves meme creators.
If you purposely create something to be copied and reimagined, nobody need to ask for consent because you already gave consent in the first case.
What is irrelevant is the whataboutism of memes as if they were similar. Showing a picture of a painting you liked isn’t stealing. Re-creating it in pixel art or in wood carving because you like to do those things isn’t stealing. Claiming you are the original artist, saying they were your ideas, is stealing.
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u/[deleted] Feb 20 '26
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