AI Lets Users Converse With Their Future Selves

MIT News announced today that MIT researchers have developed a system enabling users to engage in text-based conversations with an AI simulation of their future selves.

This system, known as “Future You,” aims to help young people reduce anxiety, and make better life decisions by strengthening their sense of connection to their future selves.

Future You uses a large language model to create a personalized AI version of the user at age 60, based on information the user provides about their current life and future goals.

The simulation responds to questions about potential future experiences, offering guidance or reflections on challenges the user might face. The goal is to help people think more critically about their current choices, and the long-term impact they could have.

“We don’t have a real time machine yet, but AI can be a type of virtual time machine. We can use this simulation to help people think more about the consequences of the choices they are making today,” says Pat Pataranutaporn, co-lead author of a paper on Future You.

The announcement states that studies indicate individuals who feel a stronger connection to their future selves are more likely to make better long-term decisions, such as saving money or prioritizing academic success.

To evaluate the effectiveness of Future You, researchers conducted study involving 344 participants. Some individuals interacted with the system for 10 to 30 minutes, while others engaged with a generic chatbot or completed surveys.

Participants engaging with Future You reported a stronger connection to their future selves and reduced anxiety. The researchers are now refining the system to encourage meaningful discussions, rather than trivial ones.

The researchers aim to also implement safeguards to prevent misuse, such as companies manipulating future outcomes for marketing.

The announcement explains that the concept of connecting with one’s future self has roots in psychology dating back to the 1960s. The researchers argue that early techniques, such as writing letters to one’s future self, lacked the interactivity that modern AI technologies now provide.

Despite the system’s benefits, the realism of the simulation could become problematic if it takes a negative turn. To avoid this, Future You warns users that it represents just one possible version of their future, emphasizing that they have the power to shape their own lives.

Changing the answers to the questionnaire will lead to a completely different conversation, highlighting the flexibility of their future outcomes.

Moving forward, the researchers plan to explore new applications, like career exploration, while ensuring the tool fosters personal growth without becoming a dependency.