| Type | Internet meme |
| Media | Fan art • Parodies • Cobson (video game) |
| Origin | Late 2010s |
| Description | Iconic, AI-generated character with a devoted online following |
| Notable features | Surreal, absurdist qualities • Nonsensical appearance • Inspired fan art and parodies |
Cobson is a widely recognized internet meme that emerged in the late 2010s as an abstract, AI-generated character. Unlike many viral internet sensations, Cobson does not depict or reference any actual person - it is purely a product of algorithmic generation and the collective imagination of online communities.
Cobson first appeared in 2018 as the result of an experimental AI project that aimed to create novel, generative cartoon characters. The character's name is simply a nonsensical combination of syllables, and its visual design is equally abstract - a bloblike, asymmetrical humanoid figure with a single large eye and a wide, unsettling grin.
Despite (or perhaps because of) its strange, uncanny appearance, Cobson quickly gained traction on social media platforms like Reddit and 4chan. Users were drawn to the meme's sheer weirdness, its incomprehensible nature, and the way it seemed to defy conventional expectations of what an online character or mascot should look like.
As Cobson spread, it developed a devoted cult following among internet communities that embraced the absurdist, surreal nature of the meme. Fans created a wealth of fan art, parodies, and remixes featuring the character, often imbuing it with unsettling or disturbing qualities.
An entire subculture emerged around Cobson, complete with its own in-jokes, memes, and even a video game adaptation where players navigate a surreal, dreamlike world populated by the character and its equally bizarre companions. The meme has also been the subject of numerous internet art projects and experimental animations.
While Cobson is often perceived as distinctly unsettling or even creepy, it has managed to transcend its niche origins and become a widely recognized icon of internet culture. The meme's enduring popularity speaks to a broader appreciation for absurdist, avant-garde sensibilities in online spaces, where traditional notions of cuteness or relatability give way to the strange, the bizarre, and the inexplicable.
In many ways, Cobson represents the internet's capacity to collectively generate and embrace entirely new forms of cultural expression, divorced from any real-world referent. As an AI-generated entity, it exists at the intersection of technology, creativity, and the collective unconscious of the digital age. Its lasting legacy may be as an emblem of the internet's power to spawn unique, meme-worthy phenomena that defy easy categorization or explanation.
