AI Revives Memories Sparks Ethics Talk
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently shared a deeply personal experience on X, formerly Twitter, igniting a significant conversation about artificial intelligence, memory, and grief. He posted an AI-generated video depicting himself as a young boy with his late mother, an experience that he found profoundly moving.
An Emotional AI Experiment
In his heartfelt post, Ohanian revealed that he lost his mother at a young age and possessed no video recordings of them together. "Damn, I wasn’t ready for how this would feel," he wrote, capturing the raw emotion of the moment.
Damn, I wasn't ready for how this would feel. We didn't have a camcorder, so there's no video of me with my mom. I dropped one of my favorite photos of us in midjourney as 'starting frame for an AI video' and wow… This is how she hugged me. I've rewatched it 50 times. pic.twitter.com/n2jNwdCkxF
— Alexis Ohanian (@alexisohanian) June 22, 2025
Ohanian created this animated memory using Midjourney. As PetaPixel reported last week, the platform recently launched its first AI video generator, capable of animating still images. "I dropped one of my favorite photos of us in Midjourney as ‘starting frame for an AI video’ and wow… This is how she hugged me. I’ve rewatched it 50 times," Ohanian shared, highlighting the personal impact of the technology.
The Double Edged Sword Of AI Memories
Despite Ohanian's touching experience, his post quickly drew criticism from the often-skeptical user base on X. Many voiced concerns about the potential for AI to create or implant false memories.
"They’re outsourcing their memories to machines," commented Matt Boileau. Another user, Bobby, sarcastically added, "Replace your real memories with fake memories for only 19.99 a month."
Some drew parallels to the Mirror of Erised from Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone, a magical object that shows the viewer's deepest desire, in Harry's case, his deceased parents. The danger, as depicted in the story, is getting lost in an illusion.
“This mirror will give us neither knowledge nor truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible,” Albus Dumbledore tells Harry in The Sorcerer’s Stone.
Echoing these concerns, Elizabeth Greene warned Ohanian directly, "Be careful with this. Human memories are very malleable, and you’ll remember what the AI shows you whether it’s true or not."
AI Digital Resurrection And Grief
The technology Ohanian used, while new to Midjourney, is not unprecedented. The concept of using AI to "bring back" individuals has been explored in various forms. For instance, last year, the film Alien: Romulus brought back beloved actor Ian Holm for an appearance. Furthermore, some services now allow grieving family members to create AI versions of their loved lost ones.
Such advancements understandably make many uneasy. Alessandra Lemma, a consultant at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, shared her concerns with Al Jazeera. She suggested that prolonged engagement with AI recreations of deceased loved ones could hinder the natural grieving process, potentially leaving individuals in a state of "limbo."
"The biggest concern that I have as a clinician is that mourning is actually very important. It’s an important part of development that we are able to acknowledge the missing of another person," Lemma stated.
Ohanian's personal and emotional use of AI has thus opened a wider public discourse on the complex ethical landscape of technology, memory, and how we process loss in the digital age.
The header image for this article is licensed via Depositphotos.
