Yesterday, I opened up my instagram and stumbled upon an article from The Guardian that discussed a new AI tool that can predict a person’s risk of more than 1000 diseases. The tool has been developed by experts and can potentially become of use to the main mass in a couple of years. That sounds pretty cool right?
The generative AI Tool was custom-built by experts from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the German Cancer Research Centre and the University of Copenhagen, using algorithmic concepts that are similar to those used in large language models (LLMs). The tool is named Delphi-2M, and can analyse a patient’s history, such as when illnesses were diagnosed, together with lifestyle factors such as smoking, weight or drinking alcohol. Based on these data it can forecast the health risks as rates over time, which can be compared to weather forecasts. It will be similar to, for example, a forecast of a 70% chance of rain this weekend. The advantage of this new AI tool compared to existing ones, is that it can predict more than 1000 diseases at once with an accuracy comparable to single-disease models.
The apparent benefits of these forecasts are the prevention of diseases. Nowadays, concepts like bio-hacking gain a lot of traction on individuals. Bio-hacking can be described as the search for optimal practices to let your body function as optimal as possible so an individual lives a healthy and long life. We all know the infra red, sauna, ice bathing gurus that tell people to live extremely healthy lives. Although it can come across somewhat extreme or obsessive, I think that there are definitely lessons to be learned from this community. Especially with the help of such an innovative AI forecaster it would be really interesting to see how far health ideals can be taken.
Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy parting occasionally and having a smoke, but I think that more awareness on healthy practices could have a significant positive effect on overall life quality. A new AI tool like Delphi-2M would definitely improve personal healthcare and disease progression and I am excited about what more is to come around this project. One final thing I would like to mention is that the tool might not be so attractive for hypochondriac people. It could definitely be a shock if the doctor tells you you might get a serious disease in 15 years time and it could definitely be a mental struggle for some people. Nevertheless, with thoughtful use and guidance from healthcare professionals, this kind of AI forecasting could become a powerful ally in battling diseases and promoting healthier lifestyles.
References
Gregory, A. (2025, 17 september). New AI tool can predict a person’s risk of more than 1,000 diseases, say experts. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/sep/17/new-ai-tool-can-predict-a-persons-risk-of-more-than-1000-diseases-say-experts
Geng, C. (2025, 14 maart). What to know about biohacking. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/biohacking
Interesting and well thought through, I like the personal opinion on the awareness you made. I also think it will make a huge difference in realization, being confronted with something you are maybe trying to ignore or don’t realize with harming your body with bad habbits. But this can also work the other way on some people, mentally unstable people. They will maybe end up in a downward spiral.
I really like your blog post!
This is an interesting development and the idea that a person’s health can be forecasted just as good as the weather is really exciting. I also wonder how people will react to the fact that they may know that they are likely to get sick in ten years, this could have serious negative psychological impact. This leaves me to believe that the introduction of this new AI may not be the real challenge, but the way in which it is integrated in our healthcare system is.
The idea of a health forecast is a huge leap forward for preventive medicine. If people can visualise their risk factors in advance, they might be more likely to adopt healthier lifestyles and avoid future major diseases.
I also agree with your argument on the psychological aspect. Knowing too much about potential risks might increase stress or anxiety. That’s why having medical professionals and other experts control how we leverage such a tool seems very crucial. Overall, Delphi-2M seems to be an interesting innovation that can help people gain knowledge of their own health in more individualised way.
Very interesting topic. I like that you mentioned how relevant topics like biohacking are, I can relate that I have seen a lot the “health gurus” online. I wonder how many people might actually want to know such an accurate prediction about their future health, and how this would impact their daily lives. People might get scared of being sick, but would still not be willing to make the necessary steps to prevent illness. People will probably feel more inclined to use Delphi-2M, if the system can give accurate suggestions about how the users can live healthier lives step by step, without them feeling like they have to flip their entire lives upside down to stay healthy. I like your take on this topic.
I like that you discussed the difficult dilemma between being able to predict diseases and telling people that they might get a severe disease in x amount of time. In my case I also like partying now and then; it helps keep life a bit less serious and more fun. However, if I knew that this habit would lead to a disease in 10 years’ time, this could really influence the habits of people and, at the same time, dehumanise their daily activities by making them constantly aware of the risks of activities.
Very interesting topic. I like that you mentioned how relevant topics like biohacking are, I can relate that I have seen a lot the “health gurus” online. I wonder how many people might actually want to know such an accurate prediction about their future health, and how this would impact their daily lives. People might get scared of being sick, but would still not be willing to make the necessary steps to prevent illness. People will probably feel more inclined to use Delphi-2M, if the system can give accurate suggestions about how the users can live healthier lives step by step, without them feeling like they have to flip their entire lives upside down to stay healthy. I like your take on this topic.