How can AI help us live longer?

Artificial intelligence or AI has been the centre of attention in recent years. Ever since ChatGPT came on the scene, it’s been a major topic of conversation. Some people think AI is going to destroy humanity. Others are convinced that it will save the world. Or at least help us live longer. But how can AI do that?

Living longer is a broad and complex topic. How long a person lives is influenced by so many different areas. And in theory, AI can play a role in all of them.

Perhaps the most obvious is healthcare. Even today, medicine is making increasing use of AI. For instance, AI is being used to identify tumours on CT scans so that cancer can be treated earlier. And that improves the patient’s chances of surviving the disease.

The best treatment

Another thing AI can do is analyse data from a smartwatch and give an automatic warning if someone’s heart rate gives cause for concern. And there’s now a phone app that uses AI to identify melanoma, a certain type of skin cancer.

All kinds of other applications are possible. For example, AI could help pinpoint the best treatment for a particular patient. Or play a vital role in the search for new drugs. The list goes on.

AI can also help prevent diseases. For example, it can assess which diet or lifestyle is healthiest for a particular person. And interacting with an AI chatbot can help someone actually stick to their ideal diet or lifestyle.

Food safety

AI’s contributions to living longer go well beyond healthcare. For example, AI smart cars can help reduce the number of fatal road accidents. Or recognise the faces of dangerous criminals so that they can be imprisoned and no longer be a danger to society.

AI can help make food safer by signalling the presence of dangerous bacteria. Or enable us to produce more food so that fewer people die of malnutrition.

Who knows, one day AI might even come up with a brilliant solution to climate change. Or help make war a thing of the past. For example, by giving people a better understanding of each other’s views.

The best of intentions

In short, the possibilities are endless. But the same is true of the ways in which AI can make things worse.

Ultimately, it’s up to us humans to decide what we use AI for. And what we don’t want to use it for. Let’s hope that we do so with the best of intentions. And that those intentions don’t end up having unintended effects.

Answered by Diana de Veld