June 23, 2025 12:00 PM IST
Alexis Ohanian used AI to create video memories of her late mother Anke, who died of cancer in 2008, earning over 7 million views on X.
Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and best known as the husband of Serena Williams, recently shared a deeply moving AI organization video featuring his late mother, Anke Ohanian, who died of terminal brain tumors in 2008.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ohanian explained that he doesn't have a video of his mother. To revisit precious childhood memories, Reddit co-founders turned to artificial intelligence. More specifically, Ohanian used the Mid Journey to reconstruct memories that were not captured in the film.
Use AI to walk through memory lanes
He shared a mid-journey with an old childhood photo showing him hugging his mother, and asked about generative AI tools to turn it into a video. AI tools have been delivered – and how!
“Damn, I wasn't ready for how this would feel. We didn't have a video camera so there was no video with my mom. I dropped one of our favorite photos of Midi Joanie as the 'AI video start frame'… This made her hug me.
The video went viral with over 7 million views and surprising comments, but some people also raised concerns about privacy and technology.
“That's not the way she hugged you. You were given the false memories,” the user wrote in the comments section. “A few months from now, you will be talking to dead people who have come back from a VR social media post,” another said.
“Beware of this. Human memories are very adaptable and I remember what AI shows whether it is true or not,” warned the third X user.
Ohanian, who co-founded Reddit in 2005, has previously spoken about how his mother's illness shaped his life and career. She was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor just a few months after Reddit's early growth. “Her diagnosis had a huge impact on my career and life,” he wrote in one Instagram post in 2022.
