A company in Japan is using generative AI to help people recreate likenesses of lost loved ones, offering a way to say goodbye. this technology sparks a deep question about imagination and memory: can digitally rendered images of people, doing things thay never did in life, evolve into genuine memories?
The answer, for many, hinges on the line between the real and the rendered, the felt and the fabricated. For some, like a father who lost his daughter unexpectedly, this AI offered a profound moment of release, a way to see her and speak with her again, perhaps as a first step toward healing.
Maybe I’m too fragile to see something that might never happen.
My own mother passed away when I was 10. I’ve never felt the urge to use AI to imagine what she might look like now, as an older woman, a grandmother to my children.I’ve avoided tools that animate old photographs. My memories of her are soft, indistinct, like dreams.They are my own, and I’d rather keep them that way than risk overwriting them with something digital and starkly clear, something that might feel artificial or even cruel in it’s precision.
Did you know? – Generative AI creates new content, such as images, based on input data. This technology is rapidly evolving, with applications spanning various fields, including art, medicine, and now, memorialization.
It’s a fine line, the one between authentic recall and manufactured make-believe. In my dreams, I sometimes see my daughter Millie running or singing with her sister. I hear her voice, words tumbling out, but the details remain elusive, just beyond my grasp.
in one dream, I found myself conversing with my mother. Time seemed to fold as we walked and talked as adults, though the specifics of our conversation remain a mystery.
Dreams, while not real, share a curious kinship with AI creations. Both involve our minds conjuring impossibilities,moments we long for but cannot physically attain. The key difference, however, is that dreams arrive unbidden, whereas AI is something we actively summon and shape. This distinction carries important weight.
Pro tip: – When considering AI-generated content, evaluate the source and purpose. Understand the technology’s limitations and potential biases. Consider the ethical implications before engaging with AI-created representations of loved ones.
For now, I choose not to venture into a version of the future that isn’t mine. And that’s a valid choice. We all navigate hope and heartache in our own ways. Perhaps one day, as I grow older, I might sit in a rocking chair and ask AI to reveal scenes I never witnessed or moments I’ve long forgotten.
Maybe then, the distinction between the real and imagined will blur into a gentle, seamless reel. The emotional landscape of my fu
