Unpredictable Memes - Speculative Futures of Meme Creators' Ownership through the Lens of Disruptive Technologies

Aug 26, 2026

Upload by Liam

Unpredictable Memes examines how technological change reshapes meme creation and propagation in contemporary digital culture, while forecasting how meme creators’ ownership may evolve. The thesis reviews historical and economic dynamics behind social-media attention economies, focusing on AI algorithms and blockchain as disruptive forces that alter monetization models. Legal and ethical considerations are addressed through copyright and ownership of human- and AI-created memes. Using Economic Constructivism and Participatory Speculation, the study builds interactive documentary futures, combining optimistic and dark scenarios shaped with cross-disciplinary experts and workshop participants.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages141

Reading Time5 h 55 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Table of the Contents

List of Appendices

List of Figures

Chapter 1: Introduction

About the Project

Project Motivation

Research Questions

Chapter Overview

Chapter 2: Literature and Contextual Review

Historical Evolution of Memes

From Cultural Unit to Digital Artifacts

Contemporary Case Studies on Social Media

AI-Created Memes

Meme Economy

History of Meme Monetization

Creator Ownership

Contextual Works

Interactive Documentary

Chapter 3: Methodologies and Methods

Methodologies

Economic Constructivism

Participatory Speculation

Methods

Historical Analysis

Applying Participatory Speculation: Workshop

Participants Recruitment

Workshops

Data Collection

Data Analysis

Chapter 4: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination

Study Findings

Individual Speculation

Group Speculation

Thesis Output

Timeline Jumping

Meme Creator Timeline

Collective Futures

Chapter 5: Conclusions and Future Work

Summary of the Research

Reflection on Methodologies and Methods

Reflection on the Thesis Project

Time Jumping

Meme Creator Timeline

Collective Futures

Significance and Future Work

Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendices

UNPREDICTABLE MEMES: Speculative Futures of Meme Creators'Ownership through the Lens of Disruptive Technologies by Winter Yan A thesis exhibition presented to OCAD University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design (MDes) in Digital Futures. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2023. ABSTRACT Unpredictable Memes explores the impact of technological change on the creation and propagation of memes in contemporary digital culture and envisions a possible future for the meme creator’s ownership. In this thesis, I begin with a historical and economic review to delve into technological movements and trends on social media in the attention economy, highlighting how Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms and Blockchain technologies disrupt the monetization of memes in ways that affect the ownership. Considering the legal and ethical segments of the potential future of meme monetization, the review of copyright and ownership of human and AI-created memes. I employ Economic Constructivism and Participatory Speculation as methodologies to collaboratively imagine both optimistic and dark future scenarios with experts from different fields related to memes, to create an interactive documentary that depicts the evolution of meme creators and the proposed vision of their future. Through this study, I speculate that in the future, AI algorithms will present new opportunities to catalyze human creativity for meme creators and to think of what creators should do to avoid homogenization of creativity, while Blockchain technologies will open up possibilities for emerging communities where meme creators can reshape ownership and scarcity in valuing creativity. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisors, Dr. Sara Diamond and Dr. Michelle Miller for their continuing guidance, support, as well as insightful thoughts and advice throughout the entire process of this thesis. Your feedback and critiques have greatly helped me to refine my ideas and develop my thesis into its final form. I am also grateful to my two tutors of Thesis 3, Dr. Cindy Poremba and Dr. Emma Westecott, for providing me with excellent academic suggestions and recommending effective methods for this research. To my family, I wish to thank my mum and my grandmother for their constant emotional support, encouragement, and patience throughout my academic journey. My love and gratitude are beyond what memes can express. My gratitude also goes to all the participants of the workshop, especially Alex, Joanne, Len and Ludy for their time and enthusiasm toward the project, and for making this research more interesting by sharing their experiences and imagination. Finally, I would like to say I consider myself very fortunate to be part of the Digital Futures Graduate Program at OCAD. I have learnt not only from the courses but also from my friends in this exceptional academic community. Their creativity, passion, and dedication to creative work have inspired me to strive for excellence and continue pushing the boundaries. I thank you all for being so cool! TABLE OF THE CONTENTS ABSTRACT 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3 TABLE OF THE CONTENTS 4 LIST OF APPENDICES 6 LIST OF FIGURES 6 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 8 ABOUT THE PROJECT 8 PROJECT MOTIVATION 11 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 13 CHAPTER OVERVIEW 14 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE AND CONTEXTUAL REVIEW 15 HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF MEMES 15 FROM CULTURAL UNIT TO DIGITAL ARTIFACTS 15 CONTEMPORARY CASE STUDIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA 21 AI-CREATED MEMES 29 MEME ECONOMY 34 HISTORY OF MEME MONETIZATION 34 CREATOR OWNERSHIP 43 COPYRIGHT OF HUMAN-CREATED MEMES 43 COPYRIGHT OF AI-CREATED MEMES 47 COPYRIGHT OF NFT MEMES 53 CONTEXTUAL WORKS 57 INTERACTIVE DOCUMENTARY 57 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGIES AND METHODS 63 METHODOLOGIES 63 ECONOMIC CONSTRUCTIVISM 63 PARTICIPATORY SPECULATION 65 METHODS 67 HISTORICAL ANALYSIS 68 APPLYING Participatory Speculation

FAQs

How does the thesis connect AI algorithms to changes in meme monetization and ownership?

It reviews how AI algorithmic systems can disrupt monetization pathways, which in turn affects how meme creators’ ownership is understood and valued. The thesis frames these shifts as part of broader attention-economy dynamics.

What role does blockchain play in the future scenarios proposed for meme creators?

Blockchain technologies are presented as opening possibilities for emerging communities, enabling creators to reshape ownership structures and reconfigure scarcity around creativity. The thesis treats this as a potential mechanism for valuing creators’ work.

Which methodologies does the thesis use to imagine optimistic and dark futures?

The study applies Economic Constructivism and Participatory Speculation. These approaches support collaborative imagination with cross-disciplinary experts and workshop participants to develop an interactive documentary of evolving meme creators.

Aug 26, 2026

Upload by Liam