How AI Will Change Personal Tech in 2025

Summary

Summary of WSJ Tech News Briefing Episode: "How AI Will Change Personal Tech in 2025"

Release Date: December 30, 2024
Host: Danny Lewis
Guest: Nicole Nguyen, Personal Tech Columnist

The Wall Street Journal’s Tech News Briefing delves into the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in personal technology as we approach 2025. Hosted by Danny Lewis, the episode features insightful discussions with personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen, exploring advancements in weather forecasting, the rise of AI-driven scams, and innovations in health and longevity tech.

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1. AI Revolutionizing Weather Forecasting

Nicole Nguyen opens the conversation by addressing the persistent inaccuracies in weather apps. Traditionally, a 10-day forecast has only about a 50% accuracy rate according to NOAA. However, this is set to change dramatically with Google's DeepMind introducing Gencast, an AI-powered weather forecasting tool.

Nicole Nguyen [01:22]: "Google's machine learning-based weather model Gencast produces forecasts up to 15 days in advance that were 97% better than one of these traditionally used models."

Gencast leverages advanced machine learning and the computational prowess of Google Cloud TPUs (Tensor Processing Units), enabling it to generate accurate forecasts in approximately eight minutes—a stark contrast to the hours required by traditional supercomputers processing European and US weather models.

Nicole Nguyen [02:16]: "Gencast can predict up to 15 days in advance and that's a leap beyond current predictions... Gencast was fed data from this medium-range European model and it also takes current observations."

DeepMind has made the Gencast code open source, allowing public access and utilization. Danny Lewis highlights that real-time forecasts from Gencast are expected to be available to the public in early 2025.

2. Enhanced Hurricane Predictions by NOAA

Building on the theme of improved weather forecasting, Nicole discusses NOAA’s advancements in hurricane season predictions. In 2024, NOAA achieved its most accurate hurricane season forecast to date, thanks to enhanced modeling and data capture techniques. This progress ensures better preparedness and response strategies for regions vulnerable to hurricanes in 2025.

Nicole Nguyen [03:44]: "Advancements in modeling and data capture... NOAA made its most accurate hurricane season prediction ever in 2024."

3. The Dark Side of AI: Rise of Scammers

Transitioning to cybersecurity concerns, the discussion shifts to how AI advancements might empower scammers. Nicole warns that generative AI and deepfake technologies are being exploited to create convincing fraudulent communications.

Nicole Nguyen [05:18]: "Generative AI has changed a lot of things and now fraudsters are using deepfake technology to recreate your boss's voice or their likeness on video."

A notable case involved a finance worker in Hong Kong who inadvertently transferred $25 million to fraudsters through a deceptive internal company call enhanced by deepfake technology.

Nicole Nguyen [05:18]: "One finance worker in Hong Kong paid out $25 million to fraudsters who use this kind of deepfake technology."

Everyday scams are also becoming more sophisticated, with AI helping criminals refine their language and create legitimate-looking websites to deceive victims into transferring funds.

Nicole Nguyen [06:18]: "Scammers are using generative AI just to fix their language so there are no more linguistic mistakes... You think it’s your company payroll vendor but it’s actually fraudsters."

4. Protecting Yourself Against AI-Powered Scams

In response to these growing threats, Nicole offers practical advice for safeguarding against AI-driven scams:

1. Establish a Safe Word: Implement a secure word or phrase with colleagues to verify the authenticity of unexpected requests.
2. Verify Through Multiple Channels: If you receive a suspicious message, contact the sender directly through a known phone number or email.
3. Strengthen Passwords: Use robust, unique passwords for all sensitive accounts and consider a password manager for enhanced security.

Nicole Nguyen [07:09]: "Strengthen all of your passwords, especially your most sensitive ones... If you don't have a password manager yet, it is a great time to get started with one."

5. AI in Health Tech: Extending Health Span

Shifting focus to health technology, Nicole introduces the concept of health span—the period of life spent in good health, free from chronic diseases. AI is playing a pivotal role in measuring and enhancing health span through various innovative tools.

• Wearables: Devices like Aura and Fitbit now estimate cardiovascular age based on heart rate metrics.
• AI Face Age Tests: Companies like Novo Labs offer apps that analyze selfies to predict biological age.
• Deathclock App: Launching in 2025, this app provides users with visual predictions of their appearance at age 70 under different lifestyle scenarios.

Nicole Nguyen [07:48]: "Deathclock next year will have this tool that will show you what you will look like at 70 with good habits and with bad habits."

6. Trends in the Longevity Business

The longevity sector is booming with innovations aimed at extending health span. Nicole highlights two significant trends:

1. Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Non-Diabetics: Devices resembling skin stickers continuously monitor blood sugar levels, helping users manage and prevent chronic issues related to blood sugar spikes.

2. AI-Powered Dietary and Lifestyle Insights:

   • January AI: Showcasing at CES, this app allows users to take photos of their meals, using generative AI to predict blood sugar responses.
   • Stello by Dexcom: A needle-based sensor integrated with Google Gemini offers comprehensive insights by correlating blood sugar levels with sleep patterns, eating habits, and other lifestyle factors.

Nicole Nguyen [08:57]: "One is an app called January AI... Another is a needle-based sensor called Stello, which is from a company called Dexcom."

These advancements empower individuals to take proactive steps in managing their health, potentially extending their health span through informed lifestyle choices.

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Conclusion

As AI continues to permeate various aspects of personal technology, the upcoming year promises significant enhancements in weather forecasting, health monitoring, and beyond. However, these advancements come with increased cybersecurity risks, necessitating heightened vigilance and proactive measures to ensure safety. The insights shared by Nicole Nguyen underscore the dual-edged nature of AI's evolution—offering remarkable benefits while introducing new challenges.

Produced by Julie Chang and supervising producer Kathryn Millsap. For more updates, stay tuned to the Wall Street Journal’s Tech News Briefing.

Transcript

[Google Gemini]

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[Danny Lewis]

Welcome to Tech News Briefing. It's Monday, Dec. I'm Danny Lewis for the Wall Street Journal. We're hearing from our reporters and columnists about some of the biggest companies, trends and people in tech and what could be in store for 2025. 2024 was the year that artificial intelligence became entwined with all sorts of personal tech beyond chatbots. From smartphones to apps, tech companies are integrating AI into everyday tools in new ways and the trend is going to continue into 2025. How will AI change everything from weather apps to fitness tools? And what happens when this tech falls into the hands of scammers? Our personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen joins us to discuss. Nicole, one thing you've been looking at lately is weather apps and specifically why they're not always accurate. But is that something that could change next year?

[Nicole Nguyen]

Yes, definitely. Google's DeepMind artificial intelligence lab just announced Gencast, which is an a weatherman. Essentially it's a machine learning model that uses similar technology to the generative AI that makes images, video, music, etc. But applies it to weather forecasting. So a typical 10 day forecast is only accurate about half the time according to noaa, which is the big weather governmental agency Here in the US Google's machine learning based weather model Gencast produce forecasts up to 15 days in advance that were at 97% better than one of these traditionally used models.

[Danny Lewis]

And NOAA is the national oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. How does gencast provide more accurate forecasts? Like how far out can it predict the weather and how does it compare to current forecasting models?

[Nicole Nguyen]

So Gencast can predict up to 15 days in advance and that's a leap beyond current predictions. There are current predictions that go out 15 days, two weeks essentially, but they're not nearly as accurate as Gencast, and that's because it's been fed recent historical data from the European model. There are basically two main weather models that weather apps look at. One is a European model, one is a US model and so gencast was fed data from this medium range European model and it also takes current observations. But the key to gencast is that it runs on a Google Cloud tpu. And for those of you who don't know what a Google Cloud TPU is, it's a special AI computer chip that can crunch numbers really fast. How fast? These supercomputers, the ones that crunch the European model and the US model, take hours to complete a forecast. Gencast can make that prediction in about eight minutes.

[Danny Lewis]

Wow, that's dramatically different. Is this something that members of the public will be able to use themselves?

[Nicole Nguyen]

DeepMind has released GenCast code. It is open source, which means anyone can take a look at it and use it. Though in 2025 next year the public will see real time forecasts from gencast. Google plans on publishing that in the first few weeks of 2025.

[Danny Lewis]

All right, and aside from Google, who else is making new forecasting models?

[Nicole Nguyen]

So every year NOAA makes a prediction on how many hurricanes we will experience that season, and that allows the regions affected by hurricanes to prepar because of advancements in modeling and data capture, NOAA made its most accurate hurricane season prediction ever in 2024. And that's great stuff for 2025, because all of that data that they were able to confirm as a part of their prediction means that moving forward, we'll know even more about hurricanes than we ever did before.

[Danny Lewis]

Coming up, AI advancements might also be making life easier for scammers. We'll discuss some to stay safe after the break.

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[Danny Lewis]

Nicole, I think a lot of us are getting spam calls and texts nearly every single day. Tell me this is something that's going to get better in 2025.

[Nicole Nguyen]

Things are going to get worse before they get better, Probably. I'm sorry to say. Generative AI has changed a lot of things in this and now fraudsters are using deepfake technology to recreate your boss's voice or their likeness on video. This actually happened this past year. One finance worker in Hong Kong paid out $25 million to fraudsters who use this kind of deepfake technology in what that employee thought was an internal company call. So that's a rare case. But on an everyday level, a lot of these criminals are using generative AI just to fix their language so there are no more linguist mistakes. And you can also ask these chatbots to spin up a legitimate looking website. What you think is your company payroll vendor is actually just sending money right, to the fraudsters themselves.

[Danny Lewis]

Oh, that's terrifying. Are there any particular AI powered scams that people should be especially on the lookout for?

[Nicole Nguyen]

Enterprise corporate victims are going to be targeted, are targeted, and will be targeted even more in 2025 because that's where the big payout is. And especially dangero are links to these legitimate looking websites. So you'll get an email from someone posing as a colleague, or maybe you'll get a text from them what you think is them, or a LinkedIn message and they'll say something like, oh, we forgot to pay this vendor. Can you submit that payment via this link? And you click on that link and it looks exactly like it should. And it's coming from someone up the chain who typically approves these kinds of things. And so next year will have to be even more more vigilant and more skeptical of the type of messages we receive.

[Danny Lewis]

Are there any ways that people can protect themselves from scammers like this?

[Nicole Nguyen]

Folks are going to need a safe word with their boss. Is this really you? Yes. Maybe asking identifying questions if someone's sending you a message or contacting that employee, that manager directly via phone is one way to combat this. But I always tell folks, strengthen all of your passwords, especially your most sensitive ones. So your bank account, your corporate account, your email account, if you don't have a password manager yet, it is a great time to get started with one.

[Danny Lewis]

Gotcha. And people might be starting to think about New Year's resolutions and getting healthy. Is there new tech coming out in the next year that could help people with those goals?

[Nicole Nguyen]

The latest buzzword in the health tech world is health span, also known as biological age. So you're probably familiar with your lifespan, which is how long you will live. Your health span refers to how long you will remain healthy, free of diseases. And one measure of this is your biological age. So you may be 60, but you have a healthy diet and a regular workout regimen. So actually your biological age is closer to maybe a 45 year old. That's a best case scenario for anyone who's 60. And more and more technology is measuring this age. Wearables such as Aura and Fitbit have a cardiovascular age estimate that's based on heart rate metrics. But there are lots of other fun tools too. Novo Labs has an AI face age test where you upload your selfie. This app called Deathclock next year will have this tool that will show you what you will look like at 70 with good habits and with bad habits. You get two photos, two different scenarios.

[Danny Lewis]

So what are some trends that we might see from the longevity business in the year ahead?

[Nicole Nguyen]

The longevity business is booming and there are many facets of it. Another trend is continuous glucose monitoring for those who do not have diabetes. That's that it may look like a sticker like stuck on your skin and it's continuing to measure your blood sugar levels. The longevity community has adopted this med tech for those who do not have diabetes to identify elevated blood sugar. And that's because blood sugar spikes are linked to chronic issues like inflammation and vascular damage. And so there are a lot of new tools now that help you measure your blood sugar so that you can manage and regulate it. One is an app called January AI, which is going to be showcased at this year's CES and is an innovation honoree and that lets you take photos of what you're eating. And it uses generative AI to predict what your blood sugar will be based on what you are eating. And there's also a needle based sensor called Stello, which is from a company called Dexcom. And they just released a new platform powered by Google Gemini that gives you insights on how your blood sugar level is connected to your sleep, your eating habits and other aspects of your lifestyle.

[Danny Lewis]

That was our personal tech columnist, Nicole Nguyen. And that's it for Tech News Briefing. Today's show was produced by Julie Chang with supervising producer Kathryn Millsap. We'll be back this afternoon with TNB Tech Minute. I'm Danny Lewis for the Wall Street Journal. Thanks for listening.