The 'AI Time Travelers Interrupting' meme trend emerged as AI image generation tools became capable of producing cinematic, hyper-realistic figures. The meme typically depicts a person from the future appearing suddenly to stop an ordinary individual from completing a simple task, implying that the action leads to a dystopian future or a global catastrophe. It parodies classic sci-fi tropes where minor events have massive historical consequences, known as the butterfly effect. Popularized on platforms like TikTok and X, the meme uses high-contrast, dramatic imagery to add a layer of epic seriousness to trivial everyday moments, making even eating a sandwich feel like a world-ending event.