Legacy media vs new forms of expression
What people consume today online is evolving faster than ever. Day by day the proportion of AI generated content vs human-made content increases, and thus consumption of AI. AI is playing an increasingly important role in influencing meme culture.
Simultaneously, users are at odds with certain legacy media, where posting on IG has become a performative act, posts crafted for likes and validation. People are getting tired. The platform is undergoing a shift to video first.
The more popular forms of video-based social media (TikTok/Reels) offer extra freedom and fun without the pressure to look perfect. AI tools are an accelerant to this, allowing creators to push boundaries and embrace the absurd with no need for calculated curation.
People are simply gravitating toward fun with a multiplier effect (from AI tooling). Again escapism, what I think of this as any escape from the physical world into the digital), is everpresent.
Brainrot Fusion & memes you can't look away from
For those curious to understand what the hell is going on in the below picture let me explain. Brainrot fusion has become a more advanced genre of memes where people combine animals and objects with AI (Example: chatgpt 4o) to create absurdist characters with even sillier names. It's jarring, yet somehow mesmerizing, a showcase of creative energy that you can't help but watch.
Fusion is like the birth of a new meme or addition of a character to the lore/content universe. These characters are then getting animated, narrated, put into PVP fights, games, tier lists, and more.
Not to mention, there are subtle brand opportunities, somehow Nike sneakers snuck their way into this fusion culture riding the popular of Tralalero tralala (the shark thingy).
And why stop at just one fusion when you can go further? KFC certainly wanted to get in on the memes too.
I'm no branding expert so I'll leave that to the experts but you can imagine how even a sillly fusion that goes viral could help drive awareness back to the product. Here's my shoddy attempt:
The Escape of AI Fusion: Experimenting with the paint brush
I decided to play around a bit with AI fusion myself and see what all the hype is about. Below are some new characters I created. As silly as it sounds there was a particular feeling of excitement about the process, it's like a magic paintbrush drawing your imagination in real time with a touch of surprise and mystique in how each character unfolds.
Imagine the opportunity to create a gamified experience that blends personal moments people cherish with playful, absurd twists allowing them to share their more about their personal lives/creations freely, without the pressure of social validation.
Product idea (Request for silly product - RFSP): Fuzio
Going through this IQ-dwindling endeavor, got me thinking about an idea for a more low-stakes product, entrenched in chaos, and custom built for a generation that shitposts its way through life. You could imagine an app that's an escapist playground of sorts where users can blend personal images (like pets, cars, or selfies) with random objects to fuse together bizarre creatures with AI-generated names.
This type of content output allows people to still embed things they are excited about but without the performance pressure of social media.
Again, I really like products where the underlying metagame/content is always rotating and fresh, largely user-generated too. There'd be many ways to gamify the app: custom themed fusion challenges (Grab chipotle burrito + pair with winning picture), based real life sports/events, and more.
The app could be a simple tool for generating fusion characters from two uploaded images, or a gamified experience where friends upload themed pics and get a surprise fusion reveal at the end
Another angle could be single picture uploads with options where the users get to fuse different elements or special edition packages of that week.
The app could potentially auto-generate skill stats from your remixed assets and match you in battles against other users’ fusions.
Monetization Ideas
Monetization can be straightforward: a free-to-play model with limited fusions, complemented by paid upgrades for premium features. Want your Girotto to talk and walk? Unlock text-to-audio and video features via payment. Access new remix packs and filter styles to enhance your creations, to add even more personalization.
Instead of focusing on collecting, maybe the real appeal lies in the social aspect/shareability. After all, most memes and apps spread through social sharing. The fun comes not from hoarding creatures, but from remixing them and gamifying the process. Community-driven elements like votes, challenges, and leaderboards could further fuel virality, with the most voted fusion of the week being launched as a branded asset (awards to winning creators).
Meta: Shapeshifting with trends and culture
TikTok is already birthing AI-driven content universes as we've now seen with John Pork, Tim Cheese, Italian Brainrot, and more. There’s no formal voting system for what enters the "lore", it’s basically a popularity contest, driven by comment sections and vibes. So we now have various paths emerging: Synthetic culture (digital first and AI native with humans in the loop) and memes emerging from real world moments.
However, maybe there's a way to channel this creative energy and chaos into something more intentional. A playful app where users upload personal images relevant to their lives (in a more carefree fashion like early IG days) with random objects to generate bizarre AI-fused creatures and identities. Maybe for structure, users get limited energy to vote on their favorite fusions, adding a layer of game mechanics to this content funnel.
After creation comes the remix layer with these assets out in the open: top characters can become AR filters (like Tung Tung), game assets, etc.
2025 will be remembered ass the year of Italian brainrot #italianrot
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One week, you could fuse your op and a rotisserie chicken. Next week, it’s favorite jersey and a Chipotle burrito. The meta shapeshifts.
Closing thoughts
Didn't talk about crypto here but that's not the focus of this article. I think emergent (and silly) behaviors in niche markets can be leading indicators of what's next. Something something "The next big thing will start out looking like a toy." Not everything needs to start as a serious business or crypto native at first. Sometimes, the move is to focus on fun first and follow the paths that emerge after.
If you are thinking about / building next gen consumer apps & experiences, down to jam!
