Google's AI-Powered Meme Generator for Gboard: A Work in Progress

Google is working on an AI meme generator for Gboard and it's horrible

The AI part of the feature is currently not very good, often generating nonsensical text and picking weird base images. As a proud Gen-Zer, I enjoy memes quite a lot, so when I found out that Google is working on an AI-powered meme generator for Gboard, I was excited to try it. The feature promises to take a prompt, pick a base image, and write a fitting caption for it. Even though current AI is still just glorified autocorrect, it seems good enough that it should be able to generate memes just fine. Unfortunately, in reality, the end product is downright terrible.

Gboard's AI meme generator aims to take over humanity's most sacred online contributions

Proton Mail's Android app is getting rebuilt from the ground up Summary Google is developing an AI meme generator as a Gboard feature with manual and automatic modes. The feature, "meme studio," clearly doesn't understand memes well, and struggles to create coherent image macros. At this stage of development, it's not yet clear what the target market for a Gboard AI meme generator is. The word "meme" first arose in Richard Dawkins' 1976 The Selfish Gene to describe a part of culture or example of behavior passed on socially through imitation or additional ways other than genetics. But that's not what it usually means in 2025. Originally called image macros, today's memes consist of text overlaid on pictures to illustrate a sometimes serious, always partially humorous point. Well, sometimes they're humorous. Everybody's encountered bad memes before. Soon, Google might encourage you to leverage AI within Gboard to automatically generate memes. Gboard, overall, is great, and one of the most popular Android keyboards for a reason. So far, however, the in-development tool's output appears to be even more nonsensical than human-created memes, according to a Google source that spoke with Android Authority. And that's saying something. Related I built a physical keyboard that mimics Gboard's layout, and it's awesome I actually built several, and you can too Posts 10 Discovering AI's true purpose at last It's finally acting as unintelligible as the average social media human Still in development, what Google internally calls "meme studio" has two aspects. At this point, the manual option is pretty straightforward, although not particularly in-depth or customizable. Its selection of background images isn't huge, but that's easily remedied. It also doesn't let you adjust font or text color, but those relatively trivial tools should be pretty easy to shoehorn in by launch time. But that's just a bog-standard meme creation tool. The real (supposed) magic comes from the "generate" side of the feature. You can choose a recommended text prompt or provide your own. It fires the prompt off to Google servers, at which point the AI does its thing. And, apparently, AI's thing doesn't yet include memes that make any sense whatsoever. I'm guessing Google mostly made this feature for older people, but I feel it's not even that great for that purpose. -- Kamila Wojciechowska, Android Authority I'm not one to rip on Google just for fun (well, usually), but the experience of Android Authority's Kamila Wojciechowska indicates the feature is leagues away from being ready for primetime. The unavoidable, ever-changing filters on AI output might do a decent job restricting harmful content, but also get in the way of plenty of prompts that have zero ill intentions. Close Courtesy of Kamila Wojciechowska of Android Authority. The "Prison Mike modem power" meme is chuckle-worthy, but for the wrong reasons. Beyond the inconsistency of prompts getting squashed or making it through, the memes from Gboard's early testing simply aren't any good. They don't turn out funny, express meaningful points, mimic actual human thoughts, or make much sense at all. To be fair, the feature is still in development, and could be able to generate competent, hilarious memes by the time it goes public. On the other hand, we are talking about AI. It could be years before artifical intelligence can truly, accurately imitate the natural unintelligence of hairless apes -- especially on the level of those of us who post memes for fun. Related 5 best Android keyboard apps for every typing style Upgrade your typing game Posts 3

Google's Gboard could soon gain an AI-powered meme generator

Memes have become incredibly popular, and Google is developing an AI-powered meme generator to make creating memes easier through Gboard. However, this upcoming tool, referred to as "Meme Studio" internally, has faced criticism from Android Authority, which was the first to report on it. According to the report, the new feature offers users two options for creating memes: "custom" and "generate." The "custom" option allows users to choose a base image from thousands available and add their own captions. Google appears to be automating the process of finding and labeling these base images. Recommended Videos The "generate" option is particularly noteworthy, though it may receive criticism once it's released. When users select this option, the AI chooses a base image and generates captions based on a specified topic. Users will have several suggestions to choose from, as well as the ability to write their own caption from scratch. It's important to note that this feature requires an internet connection to function effectively, as it operates server-side. Currently, the "generate" feature is being criticized for producing "ironically bad memes" that fail to resonate with the culture and humor of Gen Z, the writer's generation. A part of the issue may stem from the built-in filters that prevent the generation of explicit or offensive content. Android Authority explains: "Due to its outdated format and other limitations, Google's new meme generation tool isn't very useful." The author suggests these safeguards exist because "Meme Studio" primarily aims at older individuals or those who haven't previously found another meme generator to use. As a member of Generation X -- one of those "older people" -- I find this perspective valid. However, it's essential to remember that this feature is not yet available. It will likely undergo improvements before its wide release, and further updates may be implemented once Google gathers feedback from users. Ultimately, let's hope Google develops a meme generator that appeals to younger and older audiences alike. Stay tuned.