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Can AI Fortune Tellers Really Predict Your Future?

January 31, 2024 | AI

An AI fortune teller typically refers to a software program or application that uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to predict future events or provide personalized advice, much like a traditional human fortune teller. The concept merges elements of AI, machine learning, and often, elements of traditional fortune-telling practices like astrology, numerology, or tarot card reading.

How do fortune telling AI systems work?

  1. Data Analysis and Machine Learning: AI fortune tellers might use machine learning algorithms to analyze large amounts of data. This could include personal data provided by the user (like birth date, time, and place for astrology-based predictions) or broader datasets (like trends in weather, economics, etc.).
  2. Personalization: Personalized predictions are a key feature. The AI would take into account the individual’s details, like their horoscope sign, life events, or preferences, to generate tailored readings or advice.
  3. Natural Language Processing (NLP): To interact with users, these systems often use NLP, allowing the AI to understand and respond to user queries in natural language. This makes the experience more engaging and accessible.
  4. Integration of Traditional Practices: Some AI fortune tellers might incorporate elements of traditional fortune-telling practices. For example, an AI could simulate a tarot card reading by randomly selecting digital cards and then interpreting them based on traditional meanings.
  5. Entertainment vs. Serious Advice: It’s important to note that AI fortune tellers are generally considered a form of entertainment, rather than a source of serious advice. While they can provide interesting insights, their predictions are not based on scientific evidence and should be taken with a grain of salt.
  6. Ethical Considerations: There are ethical considerations regarding privacy (how personal data is handled) and the potential for such systems to be misleading or to create dependencies.
  7. Advancements in AI: As AI technology advances, these systems may become more sophisticated in their analyses and predictions, but the fundamental unpredictability of the future and the non-scientific basis of traditional fortune-telling practices remain limiting factors.

Overall, AI fortune tellers represent an interesting intersection of technology and traditional practices, providing a modern twist to age-old human curiosity about the future. However, their use should be balanced with a critical understanding of their limitations and potential ethical issues. If we, with human fortune tellers, allow ourselves to rely on the fortune telling practices and on the intuition of human fortune tellers, intuition is something we cannot count on when it comes to machines.

There are several AI fortune teller applications on the market

There are several AI fortune teller applications available, each offering unique features and methods of fortune telling:

  1. Zoltar: One such example of an AI application inspired by the Zoltar concept is a project detailed by Harshita Chadha, which uses data from sources like the New York Times and Reddit, employing NLP tools to process and respond to user queries​​. This modern take on Zoltar showcases how traditional concepts can be reimagined through technology, blending nostalgia with contemporary AI advancements. I haven’t tried her code and she didn’t pack it to be user freindly.
  2. AI Fortune Teller (aifortuneteller.io): This platform appears to offer AI-powered fortune telling, providing users with forecasts about the future. The details about the specific methods or algorithms it uses are not explicitly mentioned​​. From what I’ve tried, it doesn’t seem to be an AI thing in terms of exchaning communication with the user. This application, after pressing the button “Tell me my future” only offers an advice in a form of “Do not forget to take time to appreciate the small moments.” Final thought, I’ve tried it a couple of times and it always started with the same advice. Not much AI, if you ask me.
  3. Brancher.ai’s AI Fortune Teller: This application allows users to generate forecasts about the future and get their questions answered. The specific techniques used for these predictions are not detailed​​. You will probably have to register to post a question as from what I have noticed guest posting reached daily peak. So, user posts the question and the system generates a poetic answer, from what I have noticed usually a positive one, but as already mentioned it is not listed which prediction technique is used.
  4. Faladdin: A popular AI fortune telling app available in English, Turkish, and Arabic. Faladdin combines deep learning skills with ancient knowledge of mystical disciplines like Tarot, Astrology, Clairvoyance, and Coffee Cup Reading. It provides individual analysis and has a significant user base, with features being developed continuously. Free version has several bugs, but you can buy premium version for $19.99 a month and hope it’s more stable.
  5. I ChingAI: This app uses the wisdom of the I Ching, providing advice for various problems and supporting decision-making. It ensures privacy as it doesn’t save user questions and doesn’t use them for learning purposes. The app combines ChatGPT’s advanced AI technology with I Ching’s insights​​.
  6. Fortune Teller AI on deepai.org: The strengths of this tool are that it can remember information from previous conversations and therefore can provide personalized responses. It also allows users to correct any misunderstandings or errors in the previous interaction, and is programmed to refuse inappropriate or harmful requests. This is what they promote, but from experience with the app, this is not evident. The weaknesses are the usual ones – possibility to provide incorrect information due to limitations in its training data, or may inadvertently provide instructions or suggestions that are harmful or biased without realizing it. For entertainment purposed, take a look at a picture below.A question “what will be my love life in the next year” was answered with several different predictions. First answer was “As I see it – yes”, I repeated the question and the “outlook was not so good”, then i needed to “concentarte and ask again” and at the end “my sources say no”. Honestly, I was disappointed.

In conclusion

As we’ve explored the diverse landscape of AI fortune tellers, from Zoltar-inspired projects to advanced platforms like Faladdin and I ChingAI, it’s evident that this technology offers a contemporary spin on the age-old human fascination with predicting the future. Each application, with its unique approach and methodology, demonstrates the innovative ways in which AI can mimic, and in some cases, enhance traditional fortune-telling practices. However, amidst this technological marvel, it’s imperative to approach these AI tools with a critical eye. They serve as a source of entertainment and should not replace serious, evidence-based decision-making. In essence, while these AI fortune tellers can provide intriguing insights and a modern twist to fortune telling, they remind us of the perennial wisdom that the future, in many ways, remains a mystery beyond the reach of algorithms and data.