Day 3 – Understand Memes and Next Gen Lingo – 30 Day AI Challenge 2024

Welcome to the 2024 Edition of the #30DayAIChallenge. This year, we’ll be focusing on making Generative AI more accessible for all. So follow along and give each challenge a try yourself, plus share your own thoughts and experiments with a community of like-minded learners and tinkerers!*

Week 1‘s theme is “Enter The Matrix, Creativity Reloaded“, focused on what you can do personally to tap into your creative spark, plus bring ideas to life.

Introduction to Today’s Challenge

In today’s fast-paced digital world, staying abreast of the latest trends, memes, and the ever-evolving lingo of younger generations can sometimes feel like deciphering an alien script. Whether you’re trying to understand a meme that’s gone viral overnight or decode the phrases your kids use, it can often lead to a mix of confusion and curiosity. For Day 3 of our challenge, we’ll explore how Generative AI tools, especially chatbots, can serve as your secret weapon and translator in navigating the intricate world of popular culture.

Why Bother?

Despite their often silly appearance, Memes matter and it helps make the effort to understand them.

• Memes are a key part of internet culture. They represent a language of humor and shared experience unique to the digital age, reflecting current events, pop culture, and how we communicate online.
• Understanding memes fosters a sense of connection and belonging. They help you relate to others online, providing a shared vocabulary for humor and social commentary, especially among younger generations.

For the Beginner: Your AI Cultural Compass

If you’re new to the realm of memes and next-gen lingo, diving in might seem daunting. Sure, you can go trawling through websites like KnowYourMeme (pictured above) to figure out what the heck is going on…or try a search on Google, but as LLMs acquire the ability to see, hear and speak, you can simply utilize chatbots powered by the latest large language models (LLMs) to explain memes and phrases in simple terms. Just ask ChatGPT or your preferred chatbot, “What does this meme mean?” or “Translate this slang for me.”

Here are a couple of examples:

I asked ChatGPT to explain the “Doge” meme by simply uploading a picture…you can also do the same thing on the mobile app by using the camera or a photo from your gallery.

Here’s another example…if you’re familiar with the GameStop saga during the pandemic, you may know this one:

Interestingly enough, the same image with the two emojis wasn’t correctly interpreted by Google Gemini or Anthropic’s Claude…so you may not always get the most accurate answers unless you’re using a well trained, up-to-date model (in this case ChatGPT 4).

Can You Still Understand What Your Kids Are Saying?

Every generation comes up with its own slang, and it seems to get more confusing for parents with each passing year! It’s like your kids are speaking a secret code designed to keep you out of the loop. This is totally normal – language is always changing. Here are a few examples of what kids are saying these days that might leave you scratching your head:

• No cap: This means something is completely true, no lies.
• Drip: Refers to someone’s awesome style or fashion sense.
• Bet: A way to say “Okay” or express agreement.
• Slay: To do something amazingly well.

Here too, AI Chatbots can serve as a handy companion to decipher what you hear…for example, here I asked both ChatGPT and Pi questions on my phone using the voice chat function, which is pretty handy in an everyday context or while you’re on the move.

Plus of course, you can have AI create your own handy guide, complete with the terms you actually understand! Here’s an example where I used Claude to do just that…

For the Advanced User: Deep Dive into Digital Culture

Advanced users can leverage AI not just for understanding but also for contributing to the culture:

Pro Tip – Create Your Own Memes

• Use AI-powered tools to generate memes. Input a concept or trend you find amusing, and let the AI propose meme formats.

In this example I used a popular site like SuperMeme to create something bespoke for this post…focused on ‘confusion’ when trying to understand pop culture:

Pro Tip – Create Your Own Lingo

• Experiment with advanced language models to generate slang or create new phrases based on existing linguistic patterns. In this example I asked ChatGPT to create plausible terms for someone who is completely out of the loop with pop culture. I quite like “OutZoner” as an option! 😄

More Pro Tips

• Cultural Analysis: Use AI to analyze trends in memes and slang, identifying patterns and predicting what might become popular next. Of course this requires a lot more data and patience, plus some advanced or custom models for the best results.

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Ensure your creations and interpretations respect cultural sensitivities and contribute positively to the digital landscape.

Concluding Thoughts

As we wrap up Day 3 of our challenge, it’s clear that Generative AI can be a powerful ally in bridging the gap between generations and understanding the dynamic landscape of digital culture. Whether you’re a beginner looking to get your bearings or an advanced user aiming to contribute to the conversation, AI tools offer a pathway to not just understand but also to participate in the ever-changing world of memes and next-gen lingo.

Hope you found this one useful! Look forward to hearing about your own experiences…leave a comment and let us know, or tag your Facebook, Twitter / X or LinkedIn post with #30DayAIChallenge so others can find it too.

Till tomorrow…

*Please note: Participation in the 30 Day AI Challenge is at your own discretion and responsibility. Always ensure that no sensitive personal information, confidential, or proprietary company data is shared. Adhere to all applicable local laws and company policies. Enjoy exploring AI responsibly!