Although scientists haven’t invented the time machine yet, there’s now a way to get valuable advice from your older self. Experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed Future You, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot that mimics a 60-year-old version of the user.
Researchers say a quick chat with your future self is exactly what people need to start thinking more about their current decisions. Through an old profile picture and synthetic memories that last a lifetime, the chatbot offers believable stories about the user’s life, accompanied by sage advice for the future.
In a study of 334 volunteers, a short conversation with a chatbot made users feel less anxious and more connected to their future. So far, this Black Mirror-worthy technology has only been tested in private as part of a study, but it may be available to the public in the coming years.
To start chatting with your future self, the AI first asks a series of questions about the user’s current life, past, and where they want to be in the future. Users also submit a current photo of themselves, which is transformed into an old photo to represent the future version.
The answers are then fed into OpenAI’s ChatGPT-3.5 software, which generates “artificial memories” to build a coherent story from which the questions can be answered.
One participant told Future You that she wants to become a biology teacher in the future. When he later asked his 60-year-old self what the most rewarding moment of his career was, the AI replied: “The most rewarding story from my career would be when I was able to help a struggling student improve his grades and pass his exams.” Biology chapter. . It was wonderful to see a student’s face light up with pride and accomplishment.”
Pat Patara Notaporn, who works on the Future You project at MIT’s Media Lab, believes these interactions could bring real benefits to users. “The goal is to promote long-term thinking and behavior change,” Pataranaotaporn told The Guardian. “This can motivate people to make wiser decisions in the present to improve their well-being and life outcomes in the long term.”
In a video demo, Patarantaporn asks his future self: “What lesson would you share with new MIT Media Lab students?” The AI answers: “The most important lesson I learned is that nothing is impossible.” No matter how hard it is, if you work hard and dedicate yourself, you can achieve anything. He also recalls a conversation in which the AI reminded him to spend time with his parents while he still could. “The session gave me a perspective that is still poignant to me to this day,” he says.
In a previously published paper, researchers found that participants showed a significant decrease in levels of negative emotions immediately after the experience. Emotional measures indicated decreased anxiety and increased feelings of continuity with their future selves.
The researchers point out that previous studies have found that people who are more connected to their future show better mental health, academic performance, and financial skills. “Users emphasized how emotional the intervention experience was, expressing positive feelings such as comfort, warmth, and solace,” they wrote in their article.
Researchers warn of the potential risks of this technology. These include inaccurately representing the future in a way that negatively impacts current behavior, reinforcing negative behaviors, and over-personalization that diminishes true human relationships. “Researchers should conduct further investigations and ensure the ethical use of this technology.”
