Artificial intelligence created that tracks your location through microbes on your body

Researchers at Lund University have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can tell where you've been by analysing bacteria on your body.

Here's What We Know

The tool, called Microbiome Geographic Population Structure (mGPS), uses microbial "fingerprints" to pinpoint a person's previous location. The AI was trained on extensive microbiome datasets from various environments, including urban settings, soil, and marine ecosystems.

The tool's accuracy was impressive: it correctly identified the urban source of the samples 92 per cent of the time and was even able to distinguish between locations within the same city. For example, it distinguished between two underground stations in Hong Kong located just 172 metres apart.

This tool could greatly improve our understanding of the spread of disease by tracking the pathways of microorganisms and identifying sources of infections. The researchers plan to expand the database to improve the accuracy and applicability of the tool in areas ranging from public health to urban planning.

Source: GBE