What Is The 'What Prompt Did You Use' Meme? The Viral 'AI Art' Trolling Method Explained

There are a lot of artists out there that hate AI art. Now, AI artists have found a way to troll real artists with the simple catchphrase, "What prompt did you use?"

But what does the phrase mean exactly and how is it being used as a meme? Here's what you need to know.

What Does 'What Prompt Did You Use' Mean?

The catchphrase "what prompt did you use" first became the subject of memes back in 2022 around the time art created by artificial intelligence began gaining mainstream attention online.

The earliest known meme to use the phrase is a Batman Slapping Robin meme in which Robin asks Batman what prompt he used, resulting in Batman slapping him and saying, "round brush" (referring to a tool used in drawing software).

But why did Batman feel the need to slap Robin for his question?

Asking, "What prompt did you use?" is essentially a way of asking an AI artist what text prompt they used to generate a work of art. So, when you ask this question to a traditional artist, it's possible it might upset them.

It's no secret that many traditional artists dislike AI art and having their artwork compared to AI-generated images, which is why some have taken to trolling traditional artists using the phrase.

How Is 'What Prompt Did You Use' Used In Memes?

The phrase became increasingly popularized after 2022 as a method of trolling artists online. Basically, if you see a piece of genuine artwork online, you simply comment "what prompt did you use" in the hopes that it will make the artist mad and force them to clarify that their art was done by hand.

The catchphrase has also inspired a lot of viral interactions and memes about the types of people who might troll artists like this.

For the full history of the what prompt did you use meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.