Designing ubiquitous-computing systems for memory alterations

Abstract

Memories shape the identity of civilizations through shared knowledge. However, the increasing digital resources competing to generate content and alter what we remember threaten our natural mechanisms for forgetting inessentials to focus on what is important. In this work, we aim to understand the design process of memory-altering ubiquitous computing systems (MACS) and to raise awareness about accidental alterations from using technology. With the help of 188 participants, we explore: 1) how to design MACS, 2) how to conduct privacy-aware memory research, and 3) the users' expectations for utilizing their memories by others and by AI systems. We consolidate the design insights from eight projects to present “MemAlt”, a framework for designing MACS. We also develop two privacy-aware memory research methods to anonymously collect data and ubiquitously evaluate it. Additionally, we pin sharing expectations on social media to foresee patterns with memory technologies. With the prevalence of tracking devices such as mobiles, fitness devices, and smart home gadgets, we envision a future where domain-specific MACS are ubiquitous in everyday interactions. Thus, this work makes designing MACS more accessible to researchers, and allows them to reflect on adverse effects of their designs on memory.