It is certain that we will all die – and the question of when is supposedly calculable. An app called Death Clock, or simply a death clock, has been downloaded by 125,000 people in the five months since its release, according to market research company Sensor Tower. It was developed by Brent Franson, who trained the AI behind it with a dataset of around 1,200 life expectancy studies. This included data from a total of 53 million people.
For those who spend $40 on an annual subscription and provide the app with personal information on topics like diet, exercise, sleep, and stress levels, a clock is displayed with a countdown to the calculated time of death. While this might sound like an invention for people eager to meet their end, it is intended to have the opposite effect.
With knowledge of their death day, users can potentially extend their lives. The app also provides suggestions on how users can improve their lifestyle and possibly delay their death by a few years. According to Bloomberg, this is why it finds followers in the “Health and Fitness” category.
Beyond improving individual fitness, the app’s data could have further implications. Developer Franson claims it represents a “significant improvement” over standardized mortality tables, which are used by institutions like the Federal Statistical Office to indicate the average life expectancy of Germans.
More accurate measurements could have significant impacts on personal financial planning, predicts financial planner Ryan Zabrowski from the investment advisory firm Krilogy. Financially secure individuals, who often worry about not spending their money in time, might respond more generously.
On the other hand, the supposed knowledge of one’s death could influence the saving behavior of people who still need to secure their finances for old age. Those who know they will likely live long might opt for investments with higher returns. This could massively increase the demand for stocks, according to Zabrowski. However, it is important to remember that certain variables, like accidents, remain unpredictable, even with good data.
Death Clock inventor Branson summarizes it as follows: “There is probably no more important date in your life than the day you die.” At least, if you supposedly know it in advance.