Want Life Advice? This AI Turns You Into an Older Version of Yourself

Future You is an AI-powered app to chat with your older self, based on the concept of future self-continuity.

October 15, 2024, 10:44am

(Photo by Wojtek Laski/Getty Images)

Future You is a new platform that uses AI to let you talk to an older version of yourself, and I don’t know whether I’m terrified or intrigued—especially since TikTok’s age filter already humbled me into spending way too much money on skincare products.

Created by a research team from MIT, Harvard, UCLA, and the Thai tech company KBTG, the project basically allows you to create an older alter-ego, somewhere between the ages of 60 and 70 years old, and talk to it. Sounds like a classic internet gimmick—but there’s actually a serious idea behind it.

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Future You is inspired by the concept of future self-continuity, the degree of continuity an individual feels with their future self. Studies show that reflecting on future paths for yourself can positively influence “long-term thinking, academic performance, financial savings, and mental health and wellbeing,” they say.

They say that talking to a relatable, virtual version of your future self about your current stressors, future goals, and your beliefs can improve anxiety, quell any obsessive thoughts, and help you make better decisions. The idea with future self-continuity is that you’ll feel more connected to the version of you that exists somewhere in the, well, future.

So, instead of asking your traditional grandparents who “don’t get this generation” for advice in today’s progressive world, you can ask a more modernized yet wise version of yourself for their insights. (Of course, that’s not to say Grandma and Grandpa’s insights aren’t valuable—they just probably don’t understand today’s housing market and the struggle of situationships.)

All you have to do is upload a selfie and allow the system to use age progression to generate an older version of you. Then, you’ll fill out a questionnaire that allows the program to better understand you and your life experiences, traumas, and personality traits, developing its own persona for 60-year-old you.

I wonder if Future Me is still swiping on Hinge.