Though chronological aging cannot be stopped, artificial intelligence (AI) may soon be helping us slow biological aging, which is influenced by lifestyle, behavior and other factors, and is a more reliable indicator of health status and mortality.

As humans, we can often estimate another person’s age through the way they look, sound or even smell. These are all biological aging signs. To even an untrained eye, much less a doctor’s, we may even be able to identify the health status of a person if they appear older than their chronological age.

AI’s ability to process and analyze large amounts of data makes it an ally in the effort of not only identifying aging markers before biological aging occurs but also helping people live longer, healthier lives.

Identifying Biomarkers

AI is able to identify trends and determine causalities through patterns from medical data, pictures and more.

In a project with mice, AI algorithms analyzed daily photographs of the mice to extract potential aging markers and develop lifespan control solutions. The same process of learning visual biomarkers can then be transferred to other species, including humans.

Beyond image analysis algorithms, AI can determine recurring patterns in human aging to find biomarkers. By sifting through mass data on various blood tests, retinal scans, muscle analyses and more, or comparing human data to that of other species, AI can identify trends of aging in different populations.

Recommending Solutions

In addition to identifying potential issues, AI can recommend health solutions by analyzing the effects of therapeutic treatments, preventive solutions, differing lifestyles and more.

On a deep level, uncovering the way proteins and cells respond positively or negatively to treatments enables AI to contribute to the efficient development of medicine.

The power of deep learning may soon help us ease the discomforts of biological aging.