Your selfies could reveal your depression: What is the MoodCapture app?
A new AI-powered application called "MoodCapture" measures your depression level through your selfies. The app determines depression levels by taking random selfies without the users' knowledge and performing anatomical analyses.
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Scientists have developed a new application that utilizes artificial intelligence technology called "MoodCapture". This application can measure a person's depression level through the selfies they take and, despite still being in the prototype stage, provides an accuracy rate of over 75 percent.
A group of scientists conducting research at Dartmouth College developed this AI-powered application, which they named "MoodCapture". The application allows users to understand their depression status through the selfies they take. Currently in the prototype stage, the application could become an important tool for many people in the future.
The working principle of MoodCapture differs from other camera applications. Users cannot take selfies whenever and wherever they want; instead, the application automatically uses the selfie camera to take photos at certain moments when they unlock their screen. It determines the timing randomly to reduce the possibility of users suppressing their emotions.
Researchers used data from 177 people who had previously been diagnosed with major depressive disorder for MoodCapture's AI-powered algorithm. Participants filled out an 8-item questionnaire for 90 days and were photographed without their knowledge on the same days. The 125 thousand photos obtained in this way enabled the AI model to measure depression levels. Even in the initial stage, it was observed that MoodCapture provided an accuracy of over 75 percent.
One of the most important features of MoodCapture is its ability to provide recommendations to users. When the algorithm detects an increase in a user's depression level, it offers personalized advice. These recommendations will include suggestions such as spending time outdoors, exercising, or socializing. In this way, users will not only keep their depression under control but also take the necessary steps toward recovery.
Professor Nicholas Jacobson, the leader of the team that developed the application, stated regarding the subject, "This method acknowledges the dynamic and highly individualized nature of major depressive disorder and works accordingly."