Talking to your future self isn't hard?

AI-generated illustrations

What seemed to only exist in "Doraemon" comic books has now become a reality thanks to the development of artificial intelligence (AI).

The MIT-led Future You project has created an advanced AI chatbot that allows young users to interact with a simulated version of themselves at age 60 through a conversational interface. Research shows that the experience reduces anxiety and increases optimism.

Connect with the "Me" of the future

For the first time, people can talk to older versions of themselves about life, ambitions and concerns.

"Future You" is not just a regular chatbot, it also creates an avatar of the user's face at the age of 60, providing a realistic and close experience.

The project was developed by researchers at the MIT Media Lab and international collaborators. Details of “Future You” were published on arXiv on October 1.

Users can chat with AI on a variety of topics, from how to achieve life goals based on their current circumstances, to their own views and beliefs.

The project's goal is to help users connect with their future "selves", thereby having a clearer view of their lives.

Benefits for mental health

Getting advice from your “older self” felt more positive and effective than chatting with a regular AI chatbot, said study co-author Professor Hal Hershfield at UCLA.

“The platform’s vibrant interactive elements help users turn anxious, vague thoughts into more concrete, actionable plans,” he says.

The Technology Behind "Future You"

"Future You" uses the StyleClip image-generative model to predict what a user's face would look like at age 60 based on a selfie, adding features like wrinkles and gray hair.

The training data for the chatbot comes from the personal information, goals, and future concerns provided by users. OpenAI's ChatGPT (GPT-3.5) will process this information, creating an architecture called "future memory".

The system combines predictions about a user's future with data from others of the same age to create a comprehensive picture of their life, career and relationships.

The chatbot will take on the role of the user's "future self," answering questions about life at 60 and offering advice on achieving goals.

Safety and effectiveness

To avoid negative influences, the system constantly reminds users that the "I" version is just one of the future possibilities based on the information they provide, and the outcome may vary.

A study of 344 English speakers aged 18-30 found that after chatting with their “future selves” for 10-30 minutes, most users felt less anxious, more motivated, and felt a stronger connection to their future selves.

“Future You” is a perfect combination of traditional psychological techniques of visualizing future plans and advanced AI technology, said Jeremy Bailenson, director of the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University.

This is a promising direction, especially as virtual self-modeling technology continues to develop."

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/noi-chuyen-voi-chinh-minh-o-tuong-lai-khong-kho-20241015054748174.htm