Vasyl Hulyi,
journalist, Germany
Artificial intelligence, the matrix, and nanorobots. New technologies promise us longevity, and in the meantime – rejuvenation.
The Mechanism of Aging
It is generally accepted that aging is a natural process that everyone goes through. It manifests in external changes, such as wrinkles and gray hair, as well as in deeper changes occurring at the cellular and molecular levels. Let’s consider the main mechanisms behind this process in simple and understandable terms to understand what scientists are currently working on in this field, using new opportunities and AI tools.
Genetic Clocks
Within each of us, there are biological clocks that determine our lifespan. These clocks largely depend on the structure of DNA and how our cells divide and repair. One of the key elements of these clocks is telomeres – the end sections of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division. Over time, telomeres become too short, and cells stop dividing, which leads to aging of the body.
The Energy Stations of Our Cells
Our cells get their energy from mitochondria – small energy stations inside the cells. As we age, mitochondria begin to work less efficiently due to the accumulation of damage caused by reactive oxygen species. This process, known as oxidative stress, leads to cell and tissue damage, accelerating aging.
Accumulation of Damage
Every day, our cells undergo various damages – whether from ultraviolet rays, toxic substances, or simply errors in the cell division process. In youth, our body effectively repairs this damage, but with age, the repair mechanisms start to fail. Damage accumulates, affecting our health and appearance.
Changes in Genes
Epigenetics is the science of how our environment and lifestyle can affect the expression of our genes. With age, epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, change, which can lead to the activation or suppression of various genes. These changes can contribute to aging and the development of age-related diseases.
Cellular Senescence
Over time, some cells in our body enter a state known as cellular senescence. This means they stop dividing and start secreting substances that cause inflammation. These “old” cells not only fail to perform their functions but can also damage surrounding healthy tissues.
In other words, aging is a complex and multifactorial process that includes genetic changes, accumulation of damage, decreased mitochondrial efficiency, and epigenetic modifications. All these mechanisms are interconnected and influence each other, creating the unique process we call aging. Understanding these processes helps scientists develop methods aimed at slowing down aging and improving the quality of life in old age. In this context, new data and methodologies for rejuvenation and long-term maintenance of the body from seemingly inevitable degradation are being developed.
The problems of aging and rejuvenation affect us all, so let’s review the opinions of well-known futurists on this pressing topic.
Futurist Raymond Kurzweil
The scientist says that people are rapidly approaching singularity and possible immortality.
“The only solution, as longevity researchers claim, is to cure aging itself,” Kurzweil wrote. “In short, we need the ability to repair the damage caused by aging at the level of individual cells and local tissues. A number of possibilities for achieving this goal are currently being studied, but I believe that the most promising ultimate solution is nanorobots.” Kurzweil agreed with biomedical gerontologist Aubrey de Grey that the first person to live to 1,000 years has probably already been born. “If 2050 nanotechnology solves enough aging problems for 100-year-old people to start living to 150, we will have until 2100 to solve any new problems that may arise at this age,” he said. “Since AI will play a key role in research by then, progress during this time will be exponential,” Kurzweil said. Read more on Popular Mechanics.
Futurist Franz Joseph Schmidt
A researcher from Germany claims that after the implementation and use of artificial intelligence tools, research capabilities have increased many times compared to traditional laboratory studies. The AERARIUM group of companies, headquartered in Switzerland, with which he collaborates, has achieved significant results in isolating and designing native biologically active substances from the phytomass of valuable plants and in functionalizing natural activated mineral matrices with ion-exchange capabilities.
Applied Research and Results
“We have found one of the effective keys to maintaining excellent health in the form of specially prepared ion-exchange mineral matrices functionalized with active natural substances,” Schmidt said. “Recipes for 14 such complexes are already prepared for production and are patentable. Among them are innovative complex formulations of the new generation for rejuvenation, immune system restoration, normal biochemical processes in the body, longevity, as well as a new generation of enterosorbents and detox products to cleanse the body of antibiotics and toxins. For example, the complex for elderly people contains ions of 70 trace elements and botanical substances from 19 plants, including such unexpected or perhaps forgotten ones as mandrake, belladonna, etc., but well-known since the times of Avicenna. “Such a unique complex allows the body to replenish missing trace elements and restore vitamin production and all normal body processes at the level of a healthy young person,” said the head of the Aerarium group, Vladimir Korchagin, PhD.
AI Tools to Help
“We use the capabilities of neural networks and train AI to create new effective means and natural compounds on activated mineral matrices enriched with terpenes, alkaloids, and/or flavonoids. What we have already achieved will bring great benefits to people. The question of longevity or global fight against aging is not a question of some magic remedy; it is a matter of comprehensive measures: precise diagnosis and analytics of the body state using AI, precise and targeted measures for health maintenance using the latest safe and effective tools, medicines, and dietary supplements, AI-surgery, scientifically-based health prevention, nutrition, genetic engineering, and ecological/climate safety. We must free ourselves from lagging and degrading formalized medicine, from dense illiteracy of the population in this area, and from a mass of superficial garbage, myths, and pseudo-preachers of a ‘healthy lifestyle’ who simply monetize their delusions in the digital age, deceiving gullible people and causing considerable harm to their health with their nonsense. The health sphere of a person is the most important sphere of human civilization. The level of development of this sphere can judge the entire civilization, whether it is developed and humane. Look at any country, its healthcare system, and you will see the level of development of the population,” Schmidt said in his interview with EU-Objective magazine.
Franz Joseph Schmidt is the author of the book “Cybernation: The Format of Freedom” and the editor-in-chief of two international magazines. At the end of 2024, his new book, “Longevity is Achievable. Practical Application of AI and Practical Results,” will be published by the European publisher Hi-Tech Inovace in several languages. The plans of the Aerarium company include opening a specialized licensed experimental clinic for “rejuvenation, restoration, and longevity.”
Conclusions
It can be concluded that the latest digital technologies provide us with more tools to combat aging. Futurists predict future events that are hard to believe, but often their vision of the future becomes a reality. They propose scenarios in which the integration of high technologies into medicine will not only prolong life but significantly improve its quality.
However, despite the significant prospects that science opens up, questions of ethics and equal access to such technologies remain. It is important that the development of technologies keeps pace with the development of social and legal norms that would ensure fair and safe use of the latest developments. The future, where we can significantly extend life, is already on the horizon, and every step in this direction is very valuable and must be carefully considered.
