Generate your past with Generative AI

Yesterday, I saw at X, an Ad, that animated still photos with the usage of generative AI. At first, I thought “wow, that is really cool”, but then I felt a bit strange at first and then really worried.

The dark reality

Image the following; you have an old photo, from your father, or your grandmother, which has now passed away. And you put that photo to the AI-enabled service and generates a small animation.

The generated content never happened, even if you try to describe it. This pollutes your past, at best. You begin to have memories that never existed. So reality, is not a reality anymore. You may begin to have a “generated” reality. One that fit your needs.

So maybe you wanted your father to be more close to you. This may happen. Or maybe you want photos of your deceased parent in the present, in your graduation.

All these scenarios, could never happen in the past, but now it is trivial to happen. And to be honest, this is a sad future.

Epilogue

I was never fond even of stil photos to be honest. I want everything to be memories in my brain that will cease to exist, when I die.

Imagine what could happen with people that are mentally ill and obsessed with their former spouses etc. I do not know. A grim future, but a possibility that everyone must think about, how technology cannot only shape our future, but now our past also.