Artificial intelligence (Ai)

Well, it’s here, whether we like it or not, and chances are it’s not going anywhere. Personally, I don’t hate it. That might surprise some people, especially since I’m a Baby Boomer. But I’ve always been curious about technology. Curious enough that I spent over 30 years of my life working in technical support.

I understand why people are uneasy about AI. That concern is valid. This is something we should approach carefully. Not at a crawl, but slowly enough to make sure we get it right.

Right now, AI feels a little like the dot-com bubble all over again, and maybe some of that will burst. Still, there’s no denying that AI can be useful. It can assist us in ways that are practical, creative, and sometimes even emotional. So far, my main tool has been ChatGPT, and more recently I let myself experiment a bit with Google’s Gemini. One of the more interesting features is what AI can do with photos, especially older ones that would normally require expensive restoration.

There are a lot of tools out there now that let you animate photos, making them appear alive. Out of curiosity, I tried one of them. It did a nice job with an old kindergarten photo of me. But when I tried it with a photo of my mother, something didn’t sit right.

Like many of these apps, it required uploading a photo and starting a free trial. Those trials can quietly turn into expensive subscriptions if you’re not careful, so I canceled right away. I didn’t want to forget and end up with a surprise charge on my bank account.

The photo I used of my mother had already been enhanced years ago by another AI app. That earlier enhancement removed blur and restored facial details that were washed out in the original. It did an amazing job, and I’ve always been grateful for that result.

This new app, though, took things in the wrong direction. It altered her appearance so much that she no longer looked like herself. It gave her features and makeup she never wore, heavy red eyeshadow and lipstick that simply weren’t her. My mom wore foundation, a little mascara, and a soft pink lipstick. She didn’t need eye shadow, and she never overdid her makeup. The moment I saw the result, I knew it was wrong.

So I deleted all three projects I had started. I couldn’t justify keeping something that didn’t honor her. I respected my mother too much for that.

I only had ten years with her. I was her baby boy, and she protected me the way a lioness protects her cubs. Losing her meant losing a lifetime of moments that never got to happen. It’s been over fifty years now, and that absence never really leaves you. While many sons get to have long adult relationships with their mothers, I’ve spent much of my life wishing for just one more day. One more hour. Even a few minutes.

There were times I wanted to pick up the phone and call her with good news. Times I wanted her advice on something as simple as cooking a meal. Instead, I often found myself sitting in silence, remembering her joys, her worries, her fears, and reminding myself she wasn’t there anymore in the way she once was.

I sometimes imagine being able to pack up her things, bring her to live with me, rent-free and worry-free. Taking her to doctor appointments. Treating her to a day at the beauty salon. Letting her rest and finally enjoy the life she deserved.

This is where I think AI has potential. Not to replace people. Not to blur reality. But maybe to give us brief moments. Seconds of something that feels alive, even if it’s only animation. A living photo. A pause in time.

Maybe one day, before I’m gone, there will be something that can mimic her presence just enough for me to touch that memory again. Something that makes goodbye feel less like something I was cheated out of.