A simple selfie could hold hidden clues to one\u2019s biological age \u2014 and even how long they\u2019ll live.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s according to researchers from Mass General Brigham, who developed a deep-learning algorithm called FaceAge.<\/p>\n
Using a photo of someone\u2019s face, the artificial intelligence tool<\/a> generates predictions of the subject\u2019s biological age, which is the rate at which they are aging as opposed to their chronological age.<\/p>\n MUSIC CONDUCTOR WITH PARKINSON\u2019S SEES SYMPTOMS IMPROVE WITH DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n FaceAge also predicts survival outcomes for people with cancer<\/a>, according to a press release from MGB.<\/p>\n A simple selfie could hold hidden clues to one\u2019s biological age \u2014 and even how long they\u2019ll live.<\/span> (iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The AI tool was trained on 58,851 photos of “presumed healthy individuals from public datasets,” the release stated.<\/p>\n To test the tool\u2019s accuracy, the researchers used it to analyze photos of 6,196 cancer patients taken before radiotherapy treatment<\/a>.<\/p>\n Among the people with cancer, the tool generated a higher biological age that was about five years higher than their chronological age.<\/p>\n PARALYZED MAN WITH ALS IS THIRD TO RECEIVE NEURALINK IMPLANT, CAN TYPE WITH BRAIN<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The researchers also tested the tool\u2019s ability to predict the life expectancy<\/a> of 100 people receiving palliative care based on their photos, then compared it to 10 clinicians\u2019 predictions. FaceAge was found to be more accurate than the clinicians\u2019 predictions.<\/p>\n The researchers\u2019 findings were published in The Lancet Digital Health.<\/p>\n Mass General Brigham developed a deep-learning algorithm called FaceAge, which generates predictions of the subject\u2019s biological age from a photo.\u00a0<\/span> (Mass General Brigham)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “We can use artificial intelligence to estimate a person\u2019s biological age from face pictures, and our study shows that information can be clinically meaningful,” said co-senior and corresponding author Hugo Aerts, PhD, director of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIM) program at Mass General Brigham, in the release.\u00a0<\/p>\n “This work demonstrates that a photo like a simple selfie contains important information that could help to inform clinical decision-making and care plans for patients and clinicians<\/a>,” he went on.<\/p>\n WOMAN SAYS CHATGPT SAVED HER LIFE BY HELPING DETECT CANCER, WHICH DOCTORS MISSED<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “How old someone looks compared to their chronological age really matters \u2014 individuals with FaceAges that are younger than their chronological ages do significantly better after cancer therapy.”<\/p>\n The goal is for the tool to help eliminate any bias that may influence a doctor\u2019s care decisions based on the perception of a patient\u2019s appearance and age.<\/p>\n “While FaceAge may outperform clinicians in some survival predictions, it should augment human judgment, not override it.”<\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n The researchers noted that more research<\/a> is needed before the tool could be rolled out for clinical use.<\/p>\n Future studies will include different hospitals and cancer patients at various stages of the disease, according to the release. Researchers will also evaluate FaceAge\u2019s ability to predict diseases, general health status and lifespan.<\/p>\n To test the tool\u2019s accuracy, the researchers used it to analyze photos of 6,196 cancer patients taken before radiotherapy treatment.<\/span> (iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “This opens the door to a whole new realm of biomarker discovery from photographs, and its potential goes far beyond cancer care<\/a> or predicting age,” said co-senior author Ray Mak, MD, a faculty member in the AIM program at Mass General Brigham, in the release.\u00a0<\/p>\n “As we increasingly think of different chronic diseases as diseases of aging, it becomes even more important to be able to accurately predict an individual\u2019s aging trajectory. I hope we can ultimately use this technology as an early detection system in a variety of applications, within a strong regulatory and ethical framework, to help save lives.”<\/p>\n Dr. Harvey Castro, a board-certified emergency medicine physician and national speaker on artificial intelligence based in Dallas, Texas, was not involved in FaceAge\u2019s development but shared his comments on the tool.<\/p>\n ARE FULL-BODY SCANS WORTH THE MONEY? DOCTORS SHARE WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “As an emergency physician and AI futurist, I see both the promise and peril of AI tools like FaceAge,” he told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n “What excites me is that FaceAge structures the clinical instinct we call the \u2018eyeball test\u2019 \u2014 a gut sense of how sick someone looks. Now, machine learning<\/a> can quantify that assessment with surprising accuracy.”<\/p>\n Among the people with cancer, the tool generated a higher biological age that was about five years higher than their chronological age.<\/span> (iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Castro predicts that FaceAge could help doctors better personalize treatment plans or prioritize palliative care in oncology \u2014 “where resilience matters more than a birthdate.”<\/p>\n The doctor emphasized, however, that caution is key.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “AI models are only as good as the data they’re trained on,” Castro noted. “If the training data lacks diversity, we risk producing biased results.”<\/p>\n “While FaceAge may outperform clinicians in some survival predictions, it should augment human judgment, not override it.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Castro also cautioned about potential ethical concerns.<\/p>\n “Who owns the facial data? How is it stored? Do patients understand what’s being analyzed? These questions matter as much as the technology itself,” he said.<\/p>\n “AI can enhance our care \u2014 but it cannot replace the empathy, context and humanity that define medicine.”<\/span> (iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n There is also a psychological impact<\/a> of the tool, Castro noted.<\/p>\n “Being told you \u2018look older\u2019 than your age could influence treatment decisions or self-perception in ways we don’t yet fully understand,” he said.<\/p>\n “We need clear consent, data privacy and sensitivity. No one wants to be told they look older<\/a> without context.”<\/p>\n![\"Face](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1200\/675\/ai-face-scan.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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