Danish researchers, with the aid of artificial intelligence and data from millions of individuals, have crafted an algorithm capable of accurately forecasting various stages of a person’s life, including the moment of death. Dubbed Life2Wake, the algorithm leverages deep learning programs to anticipate health and social outcomes. The researchers emphasize the technology’s potential and risks, with its most notable feature being its ability to predict mortality.
Published in the journal Nature Computational Science, the algorithm, Life2Wake, analyzes factors such as date of birth, education, social benefits, and work schedule to predict health-related events like fertility, obesity, cancer risks, and financial success.
However, amidst genuine advancements, there are reports of fake companies claiming to offer similar tools. Dubbed as the Death Calculator in some media reports, these fraudulent entities seek personal information in exchange for purported life expectancy predictions via AI. The genuine software, though, remains private and unavailable online, according to researchers.
The Life2Wake model draws from data on over 6 million individuals in Denmark, sourced from the official Statistics Denmark Agency. It boasts an impressive 78 percent accuracy rate in predicting death, focusing on individuals aged 35 to 65 over an 8-year period from 2008 to 2016. Despite its promise, the tool is currently restricted to research settings and not ready for public use.
