'I won't trust AI': Readers share mixed reaction to AI tools that calculate people's biological ages

Scientists are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to measure people's biological ages .

Unlike chronological age, or the number of years a person has been living, biological age should reflect how well a person's bodily systems are working. Someone with a higher biological age has a higher risk for age-related diseases, such as cancer or dementia , than a person with a younger biological age. While some AI clocks look at epigenetic markers , others focus on other features, like the pitch and pace of people's voices, to calculate a biological age.

We recently asked our readers if they would trust such AI tools to measure their biological age. Over 170 people responded, with 44% of voters choosing "Yes, I would take the results with a grain of salt, but it can still provide some helpful insights." The next-largest group, including 23% of voters, also chose a positive answer, clicking the "Yes, I think it would provide useful health information."

But readers' comments seemed to reflect the opposite trend, with one commenter writing, "NO!!! Unplug it !!! Heed the warnings!" Another reader posted a similar sentiment, saying: "A.I. is dangerous! It's often going beyond its programming and doing things it's not supposed to do! Trusting it with my life is something I will never do!"

Other commenters highlighted the need for more research to be conducted before using they'd use the tools, with one reader writing, "I might wait at least a few years before trying this, because the genetic research the AI is basing its results on is likely to expand quickly, so results are likely to be more accurate & meaningful."

Another reader commented on the idea of accuracy and truth when using these tools, saying, "I won't trust AI. Al on one hand gives amazing possibilities, but on another hand with AI we would never know what the real truth is."

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Content Manager at Live Science. Formerly, she was the Content Manager at Space.com and before that the Science Communicator at JILA, a physics research institute. Kenna is also a book author, with her upcoming book 'Octopus X' scheduled for release in spring of 2027. Her beats include physics, health, environmental science, technology, AI, animal intelligence, corvids, and cephalopods.

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