© Aron Visuals – Unsplash
Imagine knowing the date of your death ? This idea that once seemed unthinkable soon becomes a reality thanks to modern technology and the power of algorithms. A Danish AI called Life2Vec (which you can use for free here) managed to anticipate the circumstances of a person's death in almost 78.8% cases, according to a study published in mid-December in the journal Nature Computational Science and cited by Le Figaro.
This feat results from the joint work of Danish and American scientists who fed an algorithm with the personal data of 6 million Danes, covering medical, social and economic aspects.
Using patterns from the past
Over a period spanning from 2008 to 2016, 100,000 profiles aged 35 to 67 were subjected to tests. Half of these individuals died 4 years later, and this was of course on purpose. The underlying goal was to predict future events (such as death) based on models from the past.
Study results reveal that predictions of social and health problems outperform existing models. According to the Technical University of Denmark, the findings are quite predictable… and you don't particularly have to be a machine to guess them:men with the lowest incomes are more likely to die.
The AI site in question © Life2Vec
Ethics and legality
However, this technological advancement raises important ethical and legal questions. Laura Tocmacov Venchiarutti, director of the Impact IA foundation, emphasizes that this model could be used for positive purposes such as preventing individual health or social problems, or implementing actions to alleviate inequalities.
However, the director also warns against misuse of this technology, particularly by insurance companies which could be tempted to assess the life expectancy of their clients. These same insurers are often the target of criticism when they provide customers with connected watches to monitor their physical activity and adapt insurance policies.
Despite the concerns raised, Sune Lehmann Jorgensen, one of the authors of the study, is reassuring. He emphasizes the importance of raising public awareness of the possibilities offered by these technological advances, emphasizing that they should not be developed in the shadows but rather discussed openly and publicly.
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