Project

Future You: Explore Your Future Self with Personalized Generative AI

Copyright

Pat Pataranutaporn

Pat Pataranutaporn

Say hello to FutureYou!

*This project is oriented towards young people*

Inspired by studies showing how increased "future self-continuity"—the degree of continuity an individual feels with their future self—can positively influence saving behavior, academic performance, mental health, and subjective quality of life, our interactive, web-based chat platform seeks to similarly help users develop more long-term thinking and behavior by strengthening their relationship with a relatable yet virtual version of their future selves. The conversation with the future self is generated in real-time via a large language model that has been personalized based on a pre-intervention survey assessing user future goals and personal qualities. Have a chat with your future self!

If you feel like sharing your conversation online, please use the hashtag: #MITFutureYou

Q+A

What happens to my data?

We anonymize and collect your survey responses and your conversation with your future self for further research to improve Future You.

How accurate is Future You?

Future You cannot predict specific details about your future life–rather, it aims to paint a vivid and realistic picture of what your future life could be like. Our goal is to help illuminate future pathways that may otherwise seem ambiguous, uncertain, or unclear.

Why doesn’t my future self seem like me?

The conversation with the future self is generated in real-time via a large language model that has been personalized based on a pre-intervention survey assessing user future goals and personal qualities. Therefore, its responses are largely dependent on both its foundational model and the data collected in the pre-intervention survey. We recommend being as detailed as possible in the initial survey for the best possible experience.

Is this tool right for me?

Future You is an intervention grounded in empirical and theoretical research on the benefits of future self-continuity as it relates to improvements in long-term thinking, academic performance, financial savings, and mental health and wellbeing. The primary goal of this project is to support reflection on future paths. Read more about our research in our preprint article, linked here.

Curious about what’s next for Future You?

We’re currently looking to make the platform more accessible and to collaborate with institutions to support young people in envisioning their futures. To learn more about ways you can get involved, contact us here or email us at futureyoumit@gmail.com

Team

Pat Pataranutaporn, MIT

Kavin Winson, KBTG

Peggy Yin, Harvard University

Auttasak Lapapirojn, KBTG

Monchai Lertsutthiwong, KBTG

Hal Hershfield, UCLA

Pattie Maes, MIT

Thanawit Tae Prasongpongchai , KBTG

The Project is supported by KBTG