Image credit: Wikimedia
Fitness trackers measure more than just steps and sleep cycles. There's something far more valuable to life insurance companies hidden in that heart rate data. It is a prediction of when a person will die. Danish researchers have built an AI system called life 2 beck What was analyzed was 6 million people Complete life history and prediction of mortality after 4 years 78% accuracy—Outperforms traditional insurance models 11%. What are you worried about? Insurers are racing to implement similar tools using everyday digital information.
Algorithms behind the curtain
Life insurance companies are secretly replacing human underwriters with AI mortality calculators.
The life2vec model is like science fiction come true. Convert everything from doctor visits to job changes into sequence data and predict survival with Transformer architecture, the same technology that powers ChatGPT. A study by the Society of Actuaries shows that insurance companies are developing AI models that incorporate “non-traditional data” beyond a typical health exam, such as detailed treatment records and lifestyle indicators. Irregular heartbeat alerts from the Apple Watch are the primary input for the mortality scoring algorithm.
From data streams to rejection letters
Wearable devices and health apps are giving insurance companies fodder for claims disputes.
Life insurance lawyers warn that insurers could soon weaponize AI predictions during competitive periods. Suppose you apply for insurance when you appear to be in good health, and two years later you die from an undiagnosed illness. The insurance company's AI analyzes smartwatch data and claims its algorithms detected early warning signs that “should have been disclosed.” Legal experts predict disputes where companies use third-party mortality scores to justify denying applications or canceling insurance policies. The decision is based on a pattern that is invisible to the applicant.
Biases embedded in code
AI mortality models risk encoding social inequality as mathematical certainty.
Sune LehmanHe led the life2vec investigation and issued a clear warning against insurance claims, claiming they “threatened fundamental principles of risk sharing”. This concern goes deeper than privacy. These models can learn that certain zip codes, occupations, or income levels are correlated with premature death and incorporate those biases into coverage decisions. Unlike traditional actuarial tables, AI systems operate as black boxes, making their inferences nearly impossible to challenge or audit.
your digital death score
All health apps and fitness trackers may provide an invisible mortality rating system.
While consumer “death calculator” apps provide morbid entertainment, the insurance industry's version has life-altering consequences. Fitbit sleep scores and telemedicine consultations could be incorporated into algorithmic lifespan assessments. What are you most worried about? You will never know your mortality rate or how it is calculated until coverage is denied or your claim is contested based on risks that only AI can detect.
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