Introducing the Power of Synthetic Memories to our Lives
- Layecha Fidahoussen
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
It is in our human nature to forget details of the past, especially as we grow older; memories from our childhood become less vivid. Many of us, including myself, being part of Gen Z, have developed the habit of constantly recording our daily lives. With phones and cameras so easily accessible, we’re able to capture a wide range of moments, from the food we eat to the festivals we attend, or even a simple day out with our loved ones.
This wasn’t the case for generations before us. Not only was the technology less accessible, but there also wasn’t the same cultural emphasis on documenting every experience. While cameras have evolved and allow us to preserve snippets of our memories more easily, they don’t always capture the full experience. That’s where our minds come in. Photos and videos are there for physical proof, making the copy timeless, but it’s our memories that remind us of the sensory and emotional layers of living in that moment.
My name is Layecha Fidahoussen, and as a student in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, I’ve always been fascinated by how our mind works, especially how our brain processes life events. This interest extends beyond the biological mechanisms, including how culture and personal experiences shape our identity.
Importance of Memory
Over time, our memories shift and change as we gain more life experiences and learn more information. This is why, when bonding with someone over distant memories, some may remember them better than others. We don’t remember events exactly as they took place; our recollections are often reshaped by perspective and time. Despite this, revisiting shared experiences over a hot meal helps strengthen our connections and relationships with people that we are close to.
Our memories are a staple of our identity and serve as a biography to tell our own stories and build our traditions for our surroundings and generations to follow. They are there to guide us and teach us from both our successes and failures for us to apply them in the present and the future, helping us adapt and help us navigate new life experiences. Memories can be stored briefly, from making an appointment to long-lasting ones like remembering crucial events from your childhood. These memories are essential in carrying out our daily lives, completing tasks, and making informed decisions.
What is synthetic memory?
In order to preserve long-term memories, it’s important to take a step further, which has been implemented recently by the use of AI. A couple of weeks ago, I came across an article where I read that AI can help us recall and reconstruct experiences that we’ve had in the past. In short, they are using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GEN-AI) technologies to build a visual experience, such as photos and short videos, that builds a visual experience from having a detailed conversation with the participant on their most significant memory that they want to recover or reconstruct.
Although the article covers major topics like memories lost through old age, traumatic displacement, and experiences, I was moved by the innovative and thoughtful ways people are finding to help, especially through AI. I haven’t experienced anything so dramatic myself, but the story resonated with me on a personal level, which is something I will explore further in the next section.
Why is it particularly interesting to me?
It really stemmed my interest as someone who has lost ancestral history. Let me tell you a little about it:
My ancestors moved from Gujarat to Madagascar a long time ago. I wish I knew more about their journey and their life back in Gujarat. Despite the lack of information, a lot of the cultural aspects and traditions were passed down generationally, like the food that we eat, the language that we speak, and the clothes that we wear at cultural and religious events. Despite it still being there, I must say it has changed a lot due to integrating into the Malagasy and French cultures.
Both of my parents grew up in coastal towns back in Madagascar. My dad grew up in the western part, and my mom in the southwest, before they met. Growing up, they would tell me about the skills and traditions and the moments they shared with their parents, and how different their lives were back when they used to live on the coast.
When I was younger, I had the opportunity to visit my mom’s hometown. She had a couple of pictures she showed me, and when we visited her town, unfortunately, a lot of people had moved to bigger cities around the country or to other parts of the world, so it looked like a ghost town.
I remain grateful that she remembered so much from her childhood: the streets she used to play on, her neighbours, the places they used to go. She took me to the house she grew up in, where my grandpa used to work, and the mosque they used to go to. She told me about my grandma’s contribution to help her community, like sewing the mosque curtains with her own hands.
Her vivid recollection was helpful in trying to imagine her life there, but her home remained a place of empty walls full of memories.
As a family, we thrive on traditions from our culture, but also religiously. Over time, some traditions and cultural aspects have prevailed while others have been lost through generations. I learned so much of my cultural heritage from my parents and community, but as I grew up, especially since moving to London, it’s been hard to keep the traditions and cultural practices alive.
This got me thinking about the amount of practices that have been lost over time. From my perspective, it would be fascinating for the older generations in my family and in my community to use synthetic memories to keep a record of their past. It’s important for the next generation, like myself, to know and keep these unique customs alive, as it strengthens our identity and connection to one another through shared memories and experiences.
How could this contribute to others' and our well-being?
The psychological implications are important to consider, as synthetic memories can offer an emotional warmth and reconnection, which can help a wide range of individuals, like dementia patients, refugees, and those who have had traumatic experiences. As mentioned in the article, through trials, this approach can be used to complement Reminiscence Therapy, which is a method that involves reflecting on experiences and significant events in one’s life.
This is also useful in therapeutic settings where discussing and creating a picture from specific memories might facilitate healing by helping people process difficult events at their own pace in a controlled environment. Not only could it contribute to individual mental wellbeing, but it may also positively impact our community by promoting empathy towards each other’s experiences, and creating a path for novel effective mental health interventions.
As mentioned in the article by the CEO of the initiative, “I think it is more therapeutic – both collectively and individually – to remember rather than to forget.”
I should put a disclaimer that I'm not an expert in AI or technology, just a curious consumer. I was fascinated by this development and the future steps of it. My expertise does not fall on the technical side, but I do understand the importance of memory and how important it is to our identity. Introducing this new approach could offer valuable support to many people.
After all, it’s our responsibility to preserve memories and protect our cultures, traditions, and histories for the next generations to come.
Would you consider trying it and incorporating it into your life?