instax prints 'memories' with AI & MRI in new campaign

instax has collaborated with researchers to develop the world's first printed memories using functional MRI and AI technology.

A significant percentage of Australians, especially the youth, encounter the loss of digital photos, often without maintaining a physical backup. In an effort to tackle this issue, instax has undertaken the project to recreate lost digital memories.

The initiative has been realised through the [Mind]ography campaign, an endeavour jointly conceptualised with McCann + HERO Australia. The project involved reconstructing lost memories from Nicole Toum, a support worker from Sydney, who lost several digital photos following her father's death.

Dr Paul Scotti from Princeton Neuroscience Institute, who led the experiment, explained, "This is literally cutting-edge, mind-reading research. We scanned Nicole's brain with Functional MRI as she saw and imagined thousands of images, training our algorithm to recognise her brain patterns. Then when she imagined her memories, the AI could create a visual reconstruction of what she was imagining."

The recreated memories were showcased at China Heights Gallery in Sydney. Nicole Toum expressed her feelings about the process saying, "I came in not knowing what to expect. The MRI's were exhausting, but it's been amazing. Extremely cathartic, joyous… having these memories back, it feels like being home."

Mary Georgievski, General Manager Photo Imaging at FUJIFILM Australia, commented on the project by stating, "Here's the fun thing about memories, we all see them so differently. So we asked the question - what if you could print memories as you recall them in your mind? Not just a photo capturing a moment, but what you remember in your mind from that moment. What if we could print THAT memory? Well, we are excited to have printed the world's first 'memories' through the [Mind]ography campaign, thanks to Nicole Toum, Dr Paul Scotti and the team at RINSW."

This campaign has sparked significant interest, with instax reporting an eightfold increase in social media engagement and a reach of 12 million people.

Mitchell Sutton and Josh Campbell, senior creatives from McCann + HERO Australia, also remarked on the campaign, saying, "[Mind]ography is one of those 'what if' ideas we'd normally put aside pretty quickly. But AI is unlocking new possibilities so fast, you almost can't just say 'that's impossible'… you've got to check first. It's fantastic to be able to visualise data in such a unique way, plus it's easy to see how this kind of tech will change lives. Being able to help Nicole recover her lost memories was a privilege, and we can't wait to see where Dr Scotti's research ends up."

This initiative coincides with FUJIFILM Australia's 20th anniversary as part of the FUJIFILM Group. Over the past two decades, the company has made significant strides in the realms of imaging and information technology within the Australian market.