The Anemoia Device: A Tangible AI System for the Co-creation of Synthetic Memories through Scent

Cyrus Clarke, Nomy Yu, Melo Chen, Yuen Zou, Hiroshi Ishii

Track: Paper

Keywords: Large Language Models, Generative AI, Multi-modal AI, Vision-Language Models, Semantic-to-Olfactory Translation, Tangible AI, Multi-sensory Interaction, Synthetic Memory, Nostalgia, Human-AI Co-Creation, Tangible User Interface, Olfactory Interfaces, Human-Centered AI, Scent-Based Interaction

Abstract: We present the Anemoia Device, a synthetic memory generator that uses generative AI to provoke nostalgia for a time you have never experienced. The system transforms an archival photograph into a multi-sensory artifact through a novel synthesis of vision, language, and olfactory technologies. This multi-modal pipeline uses a tangible, dial-based interface to guide an LLM in performing a cross-modal, semantic-to-olfactory translation. The work is an inquiry into memory malleability in an age of AI, proposing an alternative to conventional screen-based interaction through an intentional, embodied ritual that positions the user as an active co-author, rather than a passive consumer.

Submission Number: 63