Experience report of 'Future You,' an AI tool that lets you chat with yourself 30 years from now and get a glimpse of the future
'Future You' is an AI tool developed by
AI Let Me Talk to My 80-Year-Old Self. Here's What I've Learned. - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-tool-conversation-older-self-future-2abb3cc9
Future You was developed by a team led by Pat Pataranutaporn, a postdoctoral researcher at the MIT Media Lab. The feature of this tool is that it generates an aged image of the user by uploading their photo and allows them to chat with that image.
Mitchell, who is 50 years old at the time of writing this article, first entered basic information about himself, his personality, and important events in his life into the tool, and then began a conversation with his '80-year-old self' 30 years in the future.
During the conversation, the 80-year-old self offered various predictions and advice. For example, the 80-year-old self advised Mitchell to 'start writing a book sooner rather than later,' which prompted him to actually start preparing to write. The 80-year-old self also hinted at health concerns, such as a cancer diagnosis in his 60s, which prompted Mitchell to schedule a regular checkup.
On the social front, the '80-year-old me' spoke about the future of democracy, emphasizing the importance of continuing to speak out for social justice. He also predicted that we will become less reliant on social media and instead value spending time with our grandchildren.
As for his personal life, he said that his most treasured memory will be a family trip to Thailand, that he plans to learn to play the piano, and, surprisingly, that he plans to buy a house in the suburbs. He also mentioned learning a language, and while his '80-year-old self' suggested Spanish, Mitchell himself said he was considering learning Arabic or Chinese.
According to the study, 30 minutes of dialogue with Future You has been shown to strengthen users' future orientation and improve their motivation. The research team says it is important to note that the effects have been confirmed not only in younger generations but also in various age groups.
However, according to Mitchell, the AI's predictions sometimes included banal or off-topic suggestions. For example, the future prediction of 'owning a beach house in the Caribbean' was unrealistic. However, overall, Mitchell said that the future predictions gave people a chance to think concretely about future possibilities and take action toward them.
Finally, Mitchell said that through his interactions with Future You, he was not only able to imagine various possible futures, but also liked the way he imagined his future self being motivated, grateful, and surrounded by loving family and friends. He evaluated the tool as being more than just a predictor; it functioned as an ``imagination aid'' to help him think about a better future and take action toward it.
Related Posts:
