An artificial intelligence (AI) powered ‘Death Clock’ has captured the attention of thousands of users around the world by predicting their life expectancy based on their lifestyle habits.
Launched in July this year, the death-calculating app has been downloaded over 125,000 times according to Sensor Tower, a testament to its rising popularity. Despite its “fond farewell” death-day card featuring the Grim Reaper, the app has been particularly appealing to health and fitness users across the world.
Developed by Brent Franson, the ‘Death Clock’ uses data on diet, exercise, stress, and sleep to calculate a likely date of death. Its data is drawn from 1,200 life expectancy studies and 53 million participants, allowing it to give personalized predictions for its users.
“There’s probably not a more important date in your life than the day that you’re going to die,” Franson said.
The app also suggests various lifestyle changes to reduce mortality, including advice such as:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Regular exercise
- Stop smoking
- Balanced diet
- Drink less (or no) alcohol
- Good sleep
- Regular check-ups
- Manage stress
- Maintain social connections
- Lifelong learning
The Death Clock joins a growing trend of tech tools aimed at reducing uncertainty about personal mortality, alongside a range of fitness trackers. Public response to these has been famously mixed, ranging from astonishment to anticipation to criticism.
Death Clock users have to pay $40 per year as a subscription. While the app currently doesn’t seem to be downloadable for users in India, users may still be able to find workarounds using technologies like VPN.
