1. “Estimating Remaining Lifespan from the Face” (virtual talk)
Date & Time: Feb 24, 2023, 10 AM, China time
Speaker: Amir Fekrazad is currently an Assistant Professor at the College of Business at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. He holds a Ph.D. and Master's degree in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from Toosi University of Technology in Iran. His research areas encompass behavioral economics, specifically in the context of the payday loan market, housing market, and stock market. Additionally, he has an interest in Artificial Intelligence and its applications.
Abstract: The face is a rich source of information that can be utilized to infer a person's biological age, sex, phenotype, genetic defects, and health status. All of these factors are relevant for predicting an individual's remaining lifespan. In this study, we collected a dataset of over 24,000 images (from Wikidata/Wikipedia) of individuals who died of natural causes, along with the number of years between when the image was taken and when the person passed away. We made this dataset publicly available. We fine-tuned multiple Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models on this data, at best achieving a mean absolute error of 8.3 years in the validation data using VGGFace. However, the model's performance diminishes when the person was younger at the time of the image. To demonstrate the potential applications of our remaining lifespan model, we present examples of using it to estimate the average loss of life (in years) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to predict the increase in life expectancy that might result from a health intervention such as weight loss. Additionally, we discuss the ethical considerations associated with such models.
Date & Time: Thursday, April 20, 2023, 9 PM, China time
3. The 2023 Computational Humanities Symposium at Duke Kunshan University
Please join us on May 12th, 2023 at the Computational Humanities Symposium at Duke Kunshan University – a hybrid event that will bring together leading experts on the intersection of computational studies and the humanities.
Participation & Registration:
Participation in this event is free, and registration is required via the following link:
