Can a simple photo of your face reveal how ill you are?

What BBN said about it

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   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentHere is the one-sentence version. US researchers say AI may help doctors judge how ill a patient is, using one photograph of the face.

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   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorOne photo. So my headshot from the pageant could be a medical document?

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   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNo. It is a research tool, not a mirror that diagnoses you. The BBC reports the AI estimates how unwell someone is from the picture.

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   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorEstimates. I like a gentle word. It sounds like a hug.

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   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt is not a hug. Handshake, maybe. Now, why does this exist at all?

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   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorYes, why? Doctors look at faces all day already.

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   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentBecause one of the study authors says doctors are in general not very good at estimating end of life expectancy, according to Business Standard.

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   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorThat is a very brave thing for a doctor to say out loud.

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   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt is a measured thing to say. Guessing how long someone has left is hard, and a consistent number could help.

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    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo who is affected? Patients, mostly?

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentPatients and their doctors. The Macleay Argus says smokers were found to look older than former smokers.

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    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorAnd former smokers?

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentLooked older than people who never smoked. A clear ladder, and the face keeps the record.

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    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo the skin is basically a very honest press release. I would like to dispute mine.

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentYou cannot dispute it. Now, the competing views. Supporters say it could make assessments more consistent.

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    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorAnd the worriers?

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentReasonable people will ask whether a machine should weigh in on anyone's future. The researchers say no, it should support doctors.

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    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorWhat is their exact wording?

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentTheir goal is to make face photograph-based health assessment more quantitative, consistent and scalable, to support personalised treatment decisions rather than replace physician judgment.

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    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorScalable. That is the most comforting word for a face I have ever heard.

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentWhat to watch: whether doctors use it, and whether other studies back it up. It is early.

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    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo a photo helps a doctor, and a doctor still decides. Tell me what it would say about my face right now.

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt would say you are still talking.