Just why is artificial intelligence taking off in such a big way in healthcare circles? What makes it so potentially useful? The answer lies in the vast amounts of data that are collected and analyzed on a frankly ridiculous scale. Now we just need the policies and infrastructure to implement it both effectively and ethically (https://longevity.technology/news/data-is-king-when-it-comes-to-charting-longevity-pathways/).
One company that is really pushing the boundaries of AI in healthcare forward is Nuraxi. It hasn’t left stealth mode yet, but it has already premiered a large language model (LLM) based on large amounts of data from so-called “SuperAgers” – people who maintain much of their physical and mental functioning despite growing older. The LLM made its first appearance at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in 2022, and it did so in Saudi Arabia, a country that has made extending its citizens’ health span a matter of official government policy, with nationwide systems to back it.
Most people experience physical and mental decline once they’re in the latter half of their life. One study that is long term and still ongoing looked at participants who reached their 80s and may have endured some decline but did so significantly more slowly than the rest of the population. These were the people who provided data for Nuraxi as it explored the various mechanisms that influence health as we age.
Of course, data on its own means nothing; there needs to be analysis. Nuraxi gathered and evaluated data on an unmatched depth and scale. This was more than just wearables, although those did allow data to be collected at all hours of the day and night. This was DNA sequencing and other complex forms of biological analysis. One of the big focuses was on lifestyle, which is something that varies hugely from one person to the next and has an almost immeasurable impact on health and longevity. Nuraxi intends to categorize it.
Nuraxi isn’t making big, magical claims. It knows longevity can’t be a one-size-fits-all solution when every individual is so different. What it wants to do is provide highly personalized solutions so each person can take control of their own unique healthcare needs. And they do mean every person – “not just impacting few people by adding a lot of years, but it’s adding a few years to a lot of people” as founder Stefano Benedikter says.
