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Longevity science is on the cusp of major breakthroughs thanks to AI, but significant 'data gaps' need to be filled, expert says | Fortune

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  Published in Science and Technology on Thursday, October 30th 2025 at 6:52 GMT by Fortune
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Aging, Longevity, and the AI‑Driven Data Revolution

The quest to extend healthy human life has taken on a new urgency in 2025, as scientists, biotech firms, and data‑hungry artificial‑intelligence (AI) platforms converge to chart the molecular map of aging. A recent Fortune feature outlines how gaps in biomedical data and the rise of AI‑powered analytics are reshaping the field, spotlighting a handful of companies that are turning these challenges into commercial opportunities.

The Biological Roadmap of Aging

For decades, researchers have debated whether aging is a single, linear process or a mosaic of distinct biological clocks. Recent genome‑wide association studies (GWAS) and longitudinal cohort analyses suggest that aging is the cumulative effect of multiple, interconnected pathways—cellular senescence, mitochondrial dysfunction, proteostasis, and epigenetic drift. The Fortune piece cites several landmark discoveries: a 2023 study linking variations in the FOXO3 gene to longevity across diverse populations, and the identification of new plasma biomarkers that predict age‑related disease risk up to a decade in advance.

These findings underscore the complexity of the aging process. Rather than one universal “age” biomarker, researchers now rely on composite signatures—sets of proteins, metabolites, and genetic variants—that together provide a more accurate measure of biological age than chronological age alone.

The Data Gap Dilemma

While the science of aging is advancing, a critical bottleneck remains: data scarcity. The Fortune article emphasizes that many of the most powerful datasets—high‑throughput omics from longitudinally followed cohorts—are still fragmented. Key obstacles include:

1. Ethical and Privacy Constraints: Many biobanks restrict data sharing to protect participant anonymity, limiting the ability of AI models to learn from diverse populations.
2. Heterogeneous Data Formats: Different studies use varying measurement platforms, leading to batch effects that impede cross‑study integration.
3. Sparse Longitudinal Sampling: Most cohorts capture snapshots rather than continuous trajectories, making it difficult for models to infer causality or temporal dynamics.

These gaps hinder the training of robust AI models that could predict age‑related disease progression, suggest interventions, or identify novel drug targets.

AI’s Promise in Longevity Research

Against this backdrop, AI has emerged as a transformative tool. Machine‑learning algorithms can synthesize noisy, multi‑omic data, uncover hidden patterns, and generate hypotheses that would otherwise be invisible to human researchers. The Fortune feature highlights several companies that are leading this charge:

1. Hevolution

Hevolution’s proprietary platform aggregates clinical, genomic, and lifestyle data from more than 500,000 participants worldwide. Using deep‑learning models, the company calculates individualized “aging scores” and recommends personalized interventions—ranging from dietary changes to targeted therapeutics—to slow biological aging. Hevolution also offers a “Longevity Risk Dashboard” for clinicians, integrating real‑time biomarker data with AI‑derived risk estimates for cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and metabolic disorders.

2. Insilico Medicine

Insilico Medicine’s “Molecular Transformer” employs generative adversarial networks (GANs) to design novel small‑molecule compounds that target age‑associated pathways. The firm has already identified several candidates that inhibit the senescence‑inducing protein p21, with preclinical trials showing promising reversal of age‑related tissue dysfunction in mice. Insilico’s platform also predicts drug toxicity profiles, helping to streamline the pipeline from discovery to clinical testing.

3. Nabta

Nabta, a newer entrant, specializes in federated learning—an AI paradigm that trains models across decentralized datasets without transferring raw data. This approach respects privacy constraints while still leveraging the richness of global biobank data. Nabta’s flagship product, “ElderVision,” uses federated convolutional neural networks to analyze imaging data (e.g., MRI, PET) and predict the onset of neurodegenerative diseases up to five years before clinical symptoms emerge.

Funding, Partnerships, and Market Dynamics

The article notes a surge in venture capital funding directed at longevity tech. In 2024 alone, seed and Series A rounds for longevity startups surpassed $3 billion, a 70 % increase from the previous year. Investors are drawn not only by the promise of high returns but also by the growing public demand for preventive health solutions.

Strategic partnerships are also accelerating progress. For instance, Hevolution has partnered with the Mayo Clinic to validate its aging score in a diverse, multi‑ethnic cohort. Insilico has secured a collaboration with Eli Lilly to develop senolytic drugs for age‑related macular degeneration. Nabta’s federated learning framework is being piloted across European biobanks under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidelines, ensuring compliance while unlocking large‑scale data.

Challenges Ahead

Despite these advances, significant hurdles remain:

• Clinical Validation: Translating AI‑derived biomarkers into actionable clinical tools requires rigorous, multi‑center trials to prove safety, efficacy, and cost‑effectiveness.
• Regulatory Oversight: The FDA and other regulatory bodies are still developing frameworks to evaluate AI‑driven diagnostics and therapeutics, especially those that adapt over time.
• Equity and Access: Ensuring that longevity interventions are accessible across socioeconomic strata is critical to avoid widening health disparities.

The Road Forward

The Fortune piece concludes that the integration of AI and rich, high‑quality data is the linchpin for unlocking a new era of personalized longevity medicine. As companies like Hevolution, Insilico, and Nabta refine their algorithms and expand their datasets, the prospect of extending not just lifespan but healthspan becomes increasingly tangible. The convergence of biology, data science, and entrepreneurship may finally transform aging from an inevitable decline into a manageable, modifiable facet of human health.