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‘This is how she hugged me’: Reddit co-founder uses AI to relive memories with his late mom

Alexis Ohanian used Midjourney to recreate a hug with his late mother, sparking emotional and ethical conversations online.

Alexis Ohanian used AI to relive a memory with his late mom. (Image source: @alexisohanian/ X)

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently shared an emotional post in which he used AI software Midjourney to recreate a cherished memory with his late mother. Known for being open about his family life with wife Serena Williams and daughters Olympia and Adira, Ohanian often shares personal moments online — but this post struck a deeper chord.

Using Midjourney, a popular AI tool known for generating stylised visuals from text or image prompts, Ohanian uploaded an old photograph of himself with his mother and transformed it into a short animated clip showing the two embracing in a hug. The result: a deeply intimate visual that brought a still memory to life.

Sharing the post on X, Ohanian wrote: “Damn, I wasn’t ready for how this would feel. We didn’t have a camcorder, so there’s no video of me with my mom. I dropped one of my favorite photos of us in Midjourney as ‘starting frame for an AI video’ and wow… This is how she hugged me. I’ve rewatched it 50 times.”

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The post, which has since garnered 23.4 million views and over 25 thousand likes, evoked a wave of emotional and ethical reactions online.

Look at the post here:

Damn, I wasn’t ready for how this would feel. We didn’t have a camcorder, so there’s no video of me with my mom. I dropped one of my favorite photos of us in midjourney as ‘starting frame for an AI video’ and wow… This is how she hugged me. I’ve rewatched it 50 times. pic.twitter.com/n2jNwdCkxF

— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) June 22, 2025

One user commented, “Dunno bro. Kinda crossing the emotional Rubicon here. Sweet picture, don’t get me wrong, but you guys are using AI to supplement things I don’t think is intellectually or emotionally healthy to do.”

Another added, “Feels like I’m watching a bunch of people about to jump into a pit of despair following and worshipping the AI output.”

Yet others responded with thoughtful reflection. One user shared, “My dad died 2 years ago, and I’m still wading through his photobooks, VHS and 8mm of his travels & life… Debating on creating an AI-generated high-quality capsule highlight-reel. Ethical questions abound.”

To this, Ohanian responded, “I genuinely don’t understand why you wouldn’t use AI for this. Few hundred years ago, you’d have been burned as a witch for even having the video recordings.”

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A more supportive voice chimed in: “Clearly, this speaks to a deeply rooted human need. Twenty years ago, no one would have asked for such a thing—but now that it exists, it resonates with something fundamental… AI has a way of soliciting its own use, subtly embedding itself into daily life.”