Time and time again, the two of us have discussed our desires to “take pictures with our eyes” — to ensure that we can accurately remember our most exciting and mundane moments, without worrying about capturing the perfect angle, in just the right moment.

One time, our mom offered us a perspective that stuck with us: “You do. They’re called memories.”

Of course, this is true. But one thing about memories is that they can fade over time. It takes longer to forget the small details of the most life-changing, surreal and impactful moments of our lives. But what about the little ones that keep us smiling day after day? The ones that are so fleeting, there often isn’t even enough time to snap just the right photo to remember them by?

We would like to honor those simple sightings and memories with a new series, New York Minutes. To create each visual representation of a real moment in time we once saw through our very eyes, we describe the memory to artificial intelligence, which then paints us a watercolor image to keep and share with friends.

Although as journalists and people, the rise of artificial intelligence is a somewhat scary thing to contemplate, we think this is a fun way to use it to mark these moments in our lives. And most importantly, one that protects the privacy of the people we encounter every day, who we do not know but who leave a lasting impression in our minds and hearts.