In this episode of Disrupted Futures, Dr. Radhika Mittal speaks with Prof. Dr. Joel Anderson, Professor of Moral Psychology and Social Philosophy at Utrecht University and ESDiT research fellow and Management Board member, about how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we remember, forget, and make sense of our lives.
Together, they explore the promises and ethical challenges of AI-powered memory technologies, from digital assistants that help us recall everyday information to systems that record, organise, and curate our personal and shared experiences.
Joel invites us to rethink memory as something more than simply storing and retrieving information. Our memories shape our identities, relationships, and sense of belonging, and remembering is often something we do together. As AI increasingly takes on the role of remembering for us, new questions arise about privacy, autonomy, ownership, and the value of forgetting.
From memory augmentation and digital inequality to the right to control our memories, this conversation explores how we can harness AI to strengthen human capabilities and connections without creating new forms of dependency or leaving vulnerable communities behind.
đ§ Have a listen, share your reflections, and join the conversation!
In this episode:
- How AI-powered memory technologies are changing the way we remember and forget
- The role of memory in shaping personal identity, relationships, and shared experiences
- The promises of memory augmentation for people with cognitive impairments
- Who owns and controls our digital memories, and why portability matters
- How AI memory technologies could deepen digital inequalities
- Why forgetting, spontaneity, and serendipity are essential to human experience
- How we can design memory technologies that support autonomy, inclusion, and human flourishing
#MemoryAugmentation #AI #AIEthics #TechnologyEthics #DigitalMemory #HumanAutonomy #DigitalInequality #DigitalRights #PersonalIdentity #HumanFlourishing #MemoryCuration #RememberingTogether #ForgettingTogether
Guest: Prof. Dr. Joel Anderson, Utrecht University
Host: Dr. Radhika Mittal, ESDiT Programme Director and Impact Lead
Produced by: Stella Pekiaridi, ESDiT Communications Officer | University of Twente Podcast Studio
What is Disrupted Futures?
Disrupted Futures is a podcast by ESDiT, the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies, a research programme funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).
Through conversations with researchers, thinkers, and practitioners, we explore the ethical questions raised by AI, robotics, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies, inviting you to reflect on the futures we are creating together.