Chapter 1: The Burden of Knowledge

Dear Reader,

As you may realize, I possess insights that the average person cannot fathom. One of these unsettling truths is the ability to know how and when someone might pass away. This knowledge weighs heavily on my heart, particularly when it involves someone I care about.

Recently, I came across alarming news regarding an AI model, often referred to as a "doom calculator," which claims to provide similar insights. This tool can predict an individual’s likelihood of passing within four years with a 75% accuracy rate.

The latest research findings were published by a team in Denmark and the U.S. in the Nature Computational Science journal. They developed an AI transformer model called "life2vec," which analyzed data from over six million Danes, provided by the Danish government. The model evaluated various factors, including age, health, occupation, income, and significant life events.

The individuals involved in the study were not informed about their predicted death dates, as that would be irresponsible and could lead to unnecessary anxiety.

Researchers reported that the model accurately identified the deaths of participants who had passed by 2020 approximately 78% of the time. The study highlighted some risk factors for premature death, such as mental health issues, male gender, and certain professions. Conversely, leadership roles and higher incomes correlated with longer life expectancy.

The potential of this program extends beyond mere predictions; it can also forecast personality traits and even decisions about relocating internationally. The implications of such technology are profound, especially when it becomes accessible to the general public, raising ethical concerns about its use by corporations like insurance companies.

Art Caplan, a bioethics professor at NYU Langone Medical Center, warns that the advent of AI in death predictions marks the beginning of a complex journey. Other researchers are also exploring how physical and medical data can be used for forecasting. Caplan emphasizes that the unique aspect here is the combination of social, employment, and public record data along with health information to make predictions without ever having met the subjects.

As we move forward, it's likely that individuals will gain access to their forecasts, leading to potential conflicts over information access. More critically, these algorithms challenge the unknown aspects of life, which can be both beneficial and detrimental.

This becomes particularly concerning when individuals grappling with mental health issues encounter such information. A historical example is my experience with Mr. Carey, whom I befriended in 1875. As I navigated my time-traveling journey, I learned the importance of discerning who could handle unsettling truths.

During our years of friendship, Mr. Carey presented himself as a composed man—intelligent, creative, and seemingly unflappable in the face of adversity. However, my regret lies in my failure to warn him adequately about his impending fate.

Three years after my last visit, I discovered he had tragically died in a train accident in Chatsworth, Illinois. He was on a business trip when his train met with disaster, resulting in numerous casualties. The event inspired a haunting ballad, "The Chatsworth Wreck," which depicts the horrific aftermath of the collision.

I had sought to return to warn him but found myself three years too late. I met him before the accident, attempting to broach the subject of his fate, but he dismissed my concerns as superstitious nonsense.

Despite my efforts to warn him, he seemed unshaken and continued with his life, leading to a dramatic change in his demeanor as the fateful date approached. His son later revealed that Mr. Carey turned to drinking and gambling, behaviors he had previously avoided. He found himself in turmoil, caught between disbelief and a desire to confront fate.

Though he ultimately changed his travel plans, fate had a different course in store. On the day of the accident, he embraced his family, but tragically, he was still one of the casualties.

This experience taught me a harsh lesson: regardless of the predictions made by an AI or a time traveler, some forces—like fate—are beyond our control. I have since refrained from alerting anyone to their potential demise, recognizing that death finds its way regardless of knowledge.

I apologize for the somber nature of this letter, but it is a confession I felt compelled to share. I violated one of the fundamental rules of time travel, which ultimately led to heartbreak.

Wishing you all the best for the New Year 1901. I miss you and the children dearly.

With love,

Thomas

Chapter 2: The Complexity of Fate

In the first video, titled I Wrote A Letter To My FUTURE SELF! (time travel!), the creator explores the concept of time travel and personal reflections on the future, shedding light on the emotional aspects of confronting one's destiny.

The second video, Dear Future Me: A time travel experiment | Future Self by Cowrywise, delves into the implications of communicating with one's future self, emphasizing the lessons learned from such experiences.