Can AI predict the time of your death?

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AI PREDICTS THE TIME OF YOUR DEATH ☠️

Q: Why did the Grim Reaper hang out by the shoe shop?

A: He was looking for “soles.” 👟

What’s new? A new app called “Death Clock” is gaining popularity for using AI to predict the time of one’s death.

How does it work? Users enter information about their lifestyles such as how often they exercise, sleep quality, stress, diet, and other lifestyle factors. Powered by AI trained on data from 1,200 studies involving 53 million people, the app crunches the data and gives users a “death day.” It delivers this with a customized death greeting card, featuring the Grim Reaper. Of course, the app doesn’t claim infallibility. Instead, it aims to inspire healthier habits by reminding users of life’s fragility. The stark approach has drawn attention, with over 10,000 downloads on the Google Play Store.

What’s the significance? While the app might motivate positive changes, predictions based on averages can’t account for individual complexities. More concerning, reliance on AI for lifespan estimates could lead to misuse by insurers or employers, reducing human lives to cold data. Ultimately, Death Clock is a reminder, not a prophecy—so take it with a grain of salt.

GOOGLE USES AI TO PREDICT THE WEATHER 🌦️

The weather forecast says it won’t rain for three months, but I drought it. 😆

What’s up? Google has released GenCast, a highly accurate weather prediction model powered by AI.

How does it work? GenCast uses a diffusion model—similar to the tech behind image and video generation—tailored specifically for Earth’s spherical shape. It is trained on historical weather data to generate over 50 forecasts, each representing a possible future scenario. Using real-time weather updates from traditional systems, GenCast evaluates all these scenarios to offer both day-to-day and extreme weather predictions, including confidence ratings about such predictions.

Why is this significant? It’s no secret that accurate weather forecasts can save lives and inform the allocation of resources, especially during extreme events like hurricanes and heatwaves. GenCast generates predictions faster than traditional systems, producing forecasts in minutes instead of hours. GenCast also improves prediction accuracy, particularly for high-impact events, up to 15 days in advance. By making its model and data freely available, Google wants to empower researchers, governments, and organizations to enhance their own forecasting systems, improving global disaster preparedness and resource management.

THE 12 DAYS OF OPENAI 🎄

Q: Why did Rudolph get braces?

A: Because he had “buck” teeth. 🦌

What’s going on? OpenAI has begun the “12 Days of OpenAI,” committing to revealing an AI present (announcement) to the public every weekday for 12 days.

What has been released so far? The main announcement so far has been that the o1 model has left preview mode. This came alongside the announcement of ChatGPT Pro, a $200 monthly plan designed for “professionals who need research-grade intelligence.” As AI continues to evolve, it tackles increasingly complex challenges—but these advancements require substantial computing power. ChatGPT Pro is meant to meet this challenge by granting users access to “o1 pro mode.”

Should you care? So far, it seems like the 12 Days of OpenAI is a way for the company to stay in the news, despite little progress on frontier models like ChatGPT. Nonetheless, it is a creative way to keep people engaged with what the company is doing and inform the public about AI development processes.

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