Online ‘death clocks’ that claim to prophesy the date of people’s deaths are almost as old as the internet itself – but a new AI-powered death clock claims to be different.
The new (subscription-based) ‘Death Clock’ app developed by Brent Franson says it offers a “pretty significant” improvement on previous death clocks, with a questionnaire on medical basics and a predicted death date in clock format on screen.
The app shot to popularity this year with more than 100,000 downloads and even outranked popular health apps including Calm and Strava on Apple’s App Store
Franson says the company, Most Days, has a mission to help 100 million people live 10 years longer.
How does it work?
The app asks 29 questions and allows users to securely upload health documents, offering what it says is a personalised AI trained on people’s health data to “guide” users on a “journey to a longer life”.
The app claims to be more accurate because it is based on the findings of 1,200 scientific studies and makes predictions based on scientifically backed factors, such as lifestyle choices and family history.
Can apps really predict how long you will live?
Apps like ‘Death Clock’ “spark a great conversation about health”, says Hana Salussolia, CEO of virtual clinic Medisonal. But the tools don’t offer the “key to life’s final hour”, she says.
“Rather than offering a countdown to your final day, these tools shine a spotlight on the choices shaping your present,” Salussolia says. “By analysing lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity, they reveal where your health might be most vulnerable — your personal “Achilles’ heel.”
“It’s less about predicting the end and more about offering a roadmap for a healthier, longer journey. They remind us that longevity isn’t just about the finish line; it’s about how well we navigate the course.”
Can you trust the death date from an AI death clock?
The problem with such apps, Salussolia says, is that they oversimplify matters: even with a huge dataset, an app can’t realistically predict individual outcomes.
While the app can guide you towards lifestyle changes that will extend your life, it can’t predict how long any individual will live due to the sheer randomness of life.
“The inherent unpredictability of life — including acute medical events (like accidents or sudden illnesses), chronic stressors from personal relationships, environmental influences, and occupational pressures — remains beyond the predictive capacity of any current algorithm,” Salussolia says.
“This underscores the complexity of human health, which cannot be fully encapsulated by data-driven models alone. At least not yet”
“Trust them for health tips, not for “final dates.” The numbers they provide are educated guesses, not guarantees. Use them as motivation to adopt healthier habits—not as a countdown clock.”
Read more
