Technology
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There is a product on exhibit at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 that lets you peer into the future. Unfortunately, it won’t be able to tell you the outcome of the 2020 presidential election or the long-term socio-economic impact of the shambolic mess that is Brexit – but it will offer you a glimpse into your future, specifically what you will look like in 20 years’ time.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.What you decide to do with this new gift is up to you.
Olay’s new app is an artificial intelligence crystal ball that analyzes the state of your skin to predict how your face will age in the coming decades. It works by detecting areas of discoloration or damage in the skin and comparing the data to a bank of more than 1,000 images, to then determine how a person of your age and ethnicity would be expected to age over the next 20 years.
The “Future You Simulation” app is already up and running in China but is expected to launch in the US later this year.
To find out what you will look like in 2039 – provided, of course, we haven't destroyed the planet or nuked ourselves to extinction – you simply upload a selfie and type in your age and ethnicity. And then, voila!
The app presents you with what they call your skin age (you can try that bit out here). This means that if your skin age is 28, the elasticity and tone of your face resembles that of an average age of a 28-year-old – it doesn't matter if you are really 35 or 21.
Next, you have the opportunity to find out what you looked like 20 years ago and what will look like in 20 years’ time by sliding the button towards the bottom of the screen. But be warned: you might not be prepared to see what the future has in store for you.
There is even a feature to let you see how you will look in 20 years’ time with and without regular sunscreen use.
The skeptics among you might think this is a ploy to get you to invest in Olay’s beauty products – and to a certain extent, you may be right. The purpose of this app is to give you some helpful hints on how to slow down aging and keep your skin looking bright and healthy for as long as possible. And yes, that may include picking up an Olay product or two.
To check out what other exciting tech goodies CES has in store for 2019, take a look at our roundup of the most exciting products exhibited at the conference here.
