By Silan Turp
The rapid spread of realistic images and videos generated by artificial intelligence (AI) on social media platforms is prompting people to develop false memories of events that never actually occurred, experts say.
An estimated 15 billion fake AI-generated images have been shared on social media platforms since 2022, while about 71% of visual content circulating online is believed to be generated by AI, according to recent research.
Video-sharing platforms such as TikTok alone circulate more than 1.3 billion AI-labeled videos, a volume that researchers say is increasingly blurring the line between reality and computer-generated content.
A recent study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that participants exposed to AI-manipulated visual content experienced twice as many false memories as those in control groups. Researchers said the brain’s tendency to treat visual information as a reliable source of truth makes it particularly vulnerable to such distortions.
Repeated exposure to hyper-realistic AI-generated visuals creates a false sense of familiarity, leading the brain to categorize fabricated content as personal experience, the study found.
Elizabeth Loftus, a professor of psychology and a leading memory expert at the University of California, Irvine, told Anadolu that convincing AI-generated content can permanently alter memory and cause people to recall fabricated events as real over time.
Loftus said prolonged exposure to such material can turn people into what she described as “honest liars,” as they come to sincerely believe in events that never happened.
“And with social media, the capability of sharing this fake information is enhanced far more today than, you know, 20 years ago, so, we have seen many more people being able to share this information and influence other people,” she said.
Loftus noted that the technology may also have potential positive applications, referring to experimental approaches in treating eating disorders in which false memories are implanted to discourage unhealthy behavior, though such uses remain theoretical.
“Maybe we could use this AI technology to create food preferences that allow people to eat healthier and live a happier, healthier life -- that might be an interesting positive use,” she added.
Magdalena Kekus, an assistant professor of psychology and a specialist in memory distortion at Poland-based SWPS University, told Anadolu that visual content is more likely to distort memory than text because it requires less cognitive effort to process.
Kekus said the human brain reconstructs memories each time they are recalled, rather than retrieving a complete and fixed record of events.
“This means that our brain ‘reconstructs’ memories each time we recall them, and these recollections can be flawed,” she said. “Our mind can distort even those memories that we believe are immutable.”
This flexibility, she said, allows people to retain compelling visual impressions while forgetting that the source material was unreliable or artificially generated.
“As a result, false memories and misconceptions can persist over time and remain resistant to correction, even in the presence of clear and credible evidence,” she said.
Kekus added that the phenomenon poses particular risks to children and heavy social media users, affecting mental health and cognitive development, while noting that the technology could also be used to promote positive behavioral change if applied ethically.
*Writing by Emir Yildirim