New research into the effects of conversations with your future self
What if you could seek advice from your future self? Jean-Louis van Gelder and his colleagues have been awarded an ERC Proof of Concept grant for their project YourFutureU, in which participants are coached by a virtual AI version of their future self.
This marks the fourth European Research Council (ERC) grant awarded to Jean-Louis van Gelder, a professor at the Institute of Child and Education Studies and director at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. His interdisciplinary research focuses on developing technological interventions to support mental health. Building on previous studies, this new project will look into how interactions with a virtual future self can mitigate self-destructive tendencies. With the ERC Proof of Concept grant, Van Gelder aims to refine the idea further, leveraging large language models and artificial intelligence.
A personalised history
For this initiative, Van Gelder collaborates with behavioural intervention expert Esther Mertens, clinical psychologist Maggie Webb, and computer scientist Janis Butz. Together, they plan to create a virtual dialogue platform allowing users to converse with a future version of themselves—for instance, their self a decade from now. Van Gelder explains: 'We use user-specific input to create a backstory of the user's personal history. This backstory is essentially a synthetic memory, which allows for highly personalised and relatable conversations between the user and their future self.'
Future-oriented thinking
The concept behind YourFutureU is simple yet profound: by regularly engaging in conversations with your future self, you establish a psychological connection with that older version of you. This connection serves as a guide, promoting self-reflection and helping to clarify the long-term consequences of your current choices. As a result, users are more likely to make decisions that benefit them in the long run. Talking with a future self can also create emotional distance, alleviating feelings of depression. Additionally, future-oriented thinking can enhance performance in areas like work or study, aid in achieving goals more effectively, and encourage healthier lifestyle choices.
There are broader societal benefits as well: interventions like this could reduce healthcare costs, improve access to affordable care, and even help lower crime rates.
App
Van Gelder and his team’s first step is to train the language model powering the AI dialogue partner and conduct tests with a variety of users. The next stage involves evaluating its effectiveness through multiple studies, examining outcomes such as reduced procrastination and improved mental health. 'Possible market applications include a stand-alone app, which will focus on prevention, and an add-on modality, which will focus on treatment and be therapist-guided,' Van Gelder says.
ERC Proof of Concept grants provide researchers with the opportunity to advance their innovative ideas and test their feasibility. YourFutureU is a collaborative effort between the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, and Leiden University.