MIT researchers create Future You, an AI chatbot that generates a visual representation of users’ 60-year-old selves to encourage long-term thinking and positive behaviour changes. Trials show reduced anxiety and increased connection to future self.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed an AI-powered chatbot named Future You, designed to simulate a user’s older self. The project, led by Pat Pataranutaporn at MIT’s Media Lab, aims to promote long-term thinking and beneficial behavior changes by encouraging users to converse with a digitally aged version of themselves.
To use Future You, individuals answer a series of personal questions and upload a portrait image, which is then aged to create a visual likeness of their 60-year-old self. This data feeds into a large language model that generates synthetic memories and coherent responses from the chatbot. The system is powered by OpenAI’s GPT-3.5.
In trials involving 344 volunteers, interactions with Future You resulted in reduced anxiety and a stronger sense of connection to their future selves. This was intended to inspire better life decisions related to health, financial planning, and personal goals.
Ivo Vlaev, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Warwick, acknowledged the project as a notable application of behavioral science principles, highlighting its potential to influence current decisions for future well-being.
