A few days ago, I had a thought that wouldn’t leave me alone: what if we could literally stimulate life? Could a simulator built using only numbers reflect survival rates under real-world pressure, healthcare, food access, and war?
This wasn’t a game or a predictive AI tool, it was a sandbox for testing life logic. A simple sandbox where anyone can tweak some values and observe how population evolves. No deep learning, no fancy graphics, just logic.
But there was only one problem.
I never built something like this before.
Breaking It Down with AI
With no roadmap, I turned my eye to AI. And specifically ChatGPT. I messaged it: "Can I build a life simulation using just numbers? One that reflects survival under real-life conditions?"
The answer was yes. What followed was one of the most collaborative experiences I've ever had.
Step by step, ChatGPT helped me:
- Break down the concept into manageable components.
- Design the HTML and JavaScript structure.
- Store and display generational traits for easy consistency.
It was eye opening. And at the end, together, we built Evosim, short for Evolution Simulator, a simple but fascinating project.
How Does Evosim Work?
Have you ever asked yourself how a high war rate affects survival? What happens when healthcare is excellent, but climate conditions are harsh? With Evosim, you can test different scenarios and finally have answers.
Evosim models how a population survives across generations based on 11 key factors: vaccination rate, healthcare quality, disease outbreak frequency, food availability, climate conditions, presence of war/conflict, mutation rate, immunity strength, education level, access to healthcare, population density
Each factor is adjustable between *low (0), medium (0.5), and high (1), allowing users to experiment.*
You can test Evosim on your own if you want to. And give me your feedback.
Why I Built It
Evosim isn't a revolutionary simulator that will change the world. Nor is it a technique to help scientists find solutions to world problems. But that's not the point.
So why did I built it? because it's an interactive thought experiment and a tool for curiosity. I wanted to learn from AI to see how it could help change our world – what could it do? And also people can benefit from it:
- Teachers can use it to demonstrate how healthcare, food access, or conflict affect survival.
- Students can explore how interconnected these factors are.
- Anyone curious about evolution or policy can see the long-term consequences of societal choices.
What I Learnt from Building With AI
What I really learnt from this project is unexpected: you don't need a full team of developers to build a project. In our advancing world, AI is becoming smarter and smarter. “AI won’t replace developers, but it can absolutely empower them.”
With curiosity, persistence, and AI as a collaborator, you can build things that work, things that teach, inspire, and make people think.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve got an idea that feels too big or messy, **start anyway**. Ask questions, experiment, and use AI as a guide. You might be surprised at what you create.
Evosim began as a passing thought. Now, it’s a functioning sandbox that anyone can explore.
And if you do, **let me know what you discover.**
