A novel prison concept is being proposed, where criminals would serve their sentences in a matter of minutes through a method called Cognify. This process involves connecting inmates to machines and flooding their brains with artificial memories that simulate years of time, effectively making them experience the suffering of their victims. The project is led by Dubai-based biotechnologist and science communicator, Hashem Al-Ghaili.
In this proposed “prison of the future,” the artificial memories generated are tailored to the specific crime committed and the individual’s brain structure and psychological profile. This approach could potentially be used for various crimes, such as domestic violence, hate crimes, embezzlement, theft, discrimination, and more. Each offender’s history would be considered when creating their artificial memories.
For violent offenders, the artificial memories would be designed to induce empathy and remorse, making them feel the pain and suffering of their victims firsthand. Al-Ghaili believes that this AI-based prison system could significantly reduce the need for long-term incarceration and its associated costs, as convicts would be able to rejoin society in just a few days after undergoing the AI-generated memory experience and rehabilitation therapy.
However, concerns about the method’s moral implications arise. For instance, there’s the risk of those wrongly accused and convicted being forced to endure trauma they didn’t inflict. Additionally, there’s the potential for malicious misuse of artificial memory implantation.
