Linus Petersson is the co-founder of the Swedish Longevity Cluster, a pioneering initiative dedicated to advancing research and innovation in healthspan and longevity. As an author and thought leader, he is passionate about promoting a future where science and technology enable healthier, longer lives. Linus’s work bridges entrepreneurship, collaboration, and education, making him a key figure in the longevity movement in Sweden and beyond.
Linus Petersson is the author of Läkemedel mot åldrande: Hur modern vetenskap ger oss obegränsad livslängd (Medicines Against Aging: How Modern Science Gives Us Unlimited Lifespan).This book explores advancements in aging science and the potential for extending human lifespan through modern medicine.
You can order the book on this link:https://www.linuspetersson.se/
Next Human: Linus, can you tell us about the impact of the new AI tools being developed?
Linus Peterson: I think the new AI tools we are developing are going to have a huge impact, and we’re already seeing this happen. One key application area is the development of new drugs, where AI can assist in computer simulations and improve the likelihood of drug candidates being approved. Currently, the failure rate in drug development is extremely high—around 95%. If we use these new AI tools to better select drug candidates, it could save a significant amount of money and lead to the approval of more drugs.
Next Human: You mentioned the concept of autonomous AI scientists. Can you explain what that could look like?
Linus Peterson: Certainly. Another exciting prospect, which leans more into the realm of science fiction, is the development of autonomous AI scientists. We’re already seeing the early stages of this technology, where software programs can perform limited amounts of research. If we project this a few years into the future, there’s a high probability we’ll develop fully autonomous AI scientists. Combined with robotic laboratories, these AI agents could formulate hypotheses and test them almost immediately. This rapid iteration cycle could revolutionize scientific research, allowing for groundbreaking discoveries at an unprecedented pace.
Next Human: How else can AI tools be applied in the healthcare and longevity space?
Linus Peterson: AI can also be applied to preventative care and precision health. For example, we can determine the best dosage or the most effective medication for an individual. AI tools can take preventative care to the next level, targeting aging itself. This could have a transformative impact on society, and this development is already underway. Currently, around 220 pharmaceutical companies are developing drugs targeting aging or age-related diseases, with the ultimate goal of addressing aging itself. AI tools could significantly accelerate this process.
Next Human: What are the ultimate goals in the context of aging, and how can AI help achieve them?
Linus Peterson: We need to prioritize the development of these drugs to extend both the healthy portion of life (healthspan) and the maximum duration of life (lifespan). These are worthy goals, and AI has the potential to make their achievement much faster. Ultimately, the goal is indefinite lifespan extension, but we aim to accomplish this in a healthy and sustainable way.
Next Human: There are often ethical and societal concerns about life extension. What are your thoughts on these objections?
Linus Peterson: There are three common objections to life extension: fear of overpopulation, fear that only the rich will benefit, and concerns about its “unnaturalness.” Let’s address these briefly:
- Overpopulation: Even if we cured aging completely tomorrow, other causes of death—such as infectious diseases, accidents, and conflicts—would remain. The goal of solving aging isn’t immortality but reducing the risk of age-related diseases across all age groups. For example, the risk of cardiovascular disease would be the same for a 10-year-old as for a 90-year-old. Studies and population models show that stopping aging would not lead to overpopulation, contrary to intuitive fears.
- Access Inequality: From an economic perspective, governments would have strong incentives to make anti-aging treatments accessible to everyone. Investing in such treatments could lead to reduced healthcare costs, lower demand for elderly care facilities, and increased tax revenue as healthier individuals continue to work. Studies have estimated the economic value of targeting aging, suggesting that universal access is both feasible and desirable.
- Unnaturalness: This objection is nonsensical. Many treatments considered ethically desirable, such as cancer medications for children, are technically “unnatural.” The focus should be on whether these treatments are beneficial rather than their naturalness.
Next Human: What advances in understanding and treating aging have been made in recent years?
Linus Peterson: A landmark paper, Hallmarks of Aging (2013), provided a framework for understanding the molecular damage associated with aging. While our understanding of aging at the cellular and metabolic levels is far from complete, we’ve crossed a critical threshold of knowledge. We now know enough to begin developing drugs targeting these aging mechanisms. Over the past decade, pharmaceutical development in this field has accelerated, with around 40 clinical trials currently testing these medications in humans. This is a significant change compared to 10–15 years ago, when no such industry existed.
Next Human: What challenges remain in this field, and how can they be addressed?
Linus Peterson: One major challenge is developing robust biomarkers of aging—metrics that reliably indicate biological age. These could include proteins in the blood or physiological measurements like grip strength. Without such biomarkers, validating longevity drugs would require decades-long lifespan studies, which are impractical. A promising approach is the epigenetic clock, discovered by Steve Horvath in 2009, but it needs further refinement. Once we have reliable biomarkers, clinical trials could be drastically shortened—from decades to months or even days.
Next Human: In your book, you advocate for indefinite lifespan extension. Why do you believe this is a critical goal?
Linus Peterson: In my book, I argue for indefinite lifespan extension, emphasizing three key reasons:
- Involuntary Death: Aging is the leading cause of death, responsible for 70–90% of deaths worldwide. This translates to around 110,000 people dying from aging-related causes every day, which is unacceptable.
- Root Cause of Diseases: Aging is the primary cause of most non-infectious diseases, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cancer. If you value health, you should want to combat aging.
- Massive Suffering: Aging causes immense suffering. Many elderly individuals face poor quality of life, unable to perform basic tasks or live independently. We should not accept this level of suffering as inevitable.
Indefinite lifespan extension is an ambitious goal, harder than landing on the moon. But we don’t need to solve everything at once—we can take it step by step.