Artificial Intelligence and Seniors: A Boon or Bane?
Explore the benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health monitoring, social interaction, cognitive stimulation, medication management, smart home systems, and daily living assistance. Navigate through the challenges, including the cost, digital literacy, privacy concerns, emotion understanding, and the risks of overdependence. Discover if AI is a game-changer or a concern for seniors and gain valuable insights into the intersection of technology and aging.
Table of Contents
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making headlines these days. People think it is either the end of the world or the greatest thing since sliced bread. The reality, especially for mature audiences, lies somewhere in between. Artificial intelligence can be helpful to seniors in some ways, but systemic problems limit its assistance.
Ways AI Can Be Beneficial
AI has the potential to assist seniors in several ways. Mehebuba Marshia mentions the following ones:
Health Monitoring
Many people use a Fitbit or another device to monitor their steps or workouts. AI has the potential to extend these applications to monitor vitals and alert the wearer or a caregiver if they change. AI also has the ability to detect falls and other emergencies and call for help. It can monitor individuals 24/7 without exhaustion, allowing caregivers to rest at night.
Spark Social Interaction
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 27% of adults aged 60 and over live alone, while another 46% live with a partner. Loneliness has been declared a significant health risk by the US General Surgeon. AI can help by engaging in games, offering emotional support, and being a conversational companion when caregivers are unavailable.
Dementia patients can benefit from AI Socially Assistive Robots (SARs), according to a study by Lee et al (2022). These AI robots offer several benefits for individuals over the age of 65, including increased interaction, reduced depression and anxiety, improved ratings of quality of life, and enhanced well-being for people with dementia. Both the humanoid robot group and the group that interacted with a baby seal robot improved. The group working with the humanoid robot improved more. I did not find any studies that compared kitten or dog robots to humanoid robots.
Cognitive Stimulation and Memory Support
Who hasn’t entered a room and forgotten the reason for being there? People with dementia frequently experience this frustration, and it can be particularly challenging for them. AI can assist in enhancing memory and providing cognitive stimulation by engaging in activities such as playing games, practicing memory exercises, and helping them recall significant details, like recognizing loved ones.
Medication Management
When a person forgets to take their medication, it negatively impacts their health. AI can provide reminders to seniors, ensuring they take their medication as prescribed. With an advanced pill dispenser, AI dispenses the correct medications at the designated times, preventing confusion and the risk of double-dosing or missing a dose.
Increase Independence
Smart home systems can make it possible for someone to remain at home as they age. For instance, these systems assist in regulating temperature, powering security systems, and monitoring the person for a distant caregiver.
My grandmother suffered a fall, breaking her hip on the front stoop. Luckily, someone witnessed the incident and came to her aid. If she had been equipped with a fall-detection monitor, her safety would have been significantly enhanced, providing my parents with greater peace of mind.
Daily Living Assistance
Daily living assistance is a fancy way of saying AI provides recipes, assists with meal planning for a special diet, and orders groceries for scheduled meals. Additionally, AI can arrange transportation to the grocery store if required. Items that were previously written and filed can now be organized with the help of an AI-assisted phone or desktop application.
Problems With Artificial Intelligence for Seniors
AI is not a panacea. Mehebuba, Lee et al., and the World Health Organization have highlighted several issues associated with using AI for seniors.
Cost
Currently, AI is rather expensive. Not all seniors can afford a high-quality humanoid robot or even a proficient AI application. While AI SARs are much cheaper than paying humans for the same services, they are still expensive and not easily accessible.
Digital Literacy
Many seniors feel they need to be more comfortable with technology. They may be hesitant to buy or use AI applications. While training should be provided to anyone purchasing an AI application or robot, digital technology can still be overwhelming to some individuals.
Privacy Concerns
AI chats and monitoring are not entirely private. The developers of such technology can read the chats or data gathered. Concerns about the storage of medical data and conversations may limit the use of AI. A related issue is that the developers can alter the programming for the chats at any point.
Many users of chatbots have reacted negatively when programs were changed to make it impossible for the chatbots to be explicit. For single seniors who wish to engage in explicit terms with their chatbots, this can be a problem. Even if you don’t want to do that, you may be unpleasantly surprised by a change in personality due to a software upgrade.
Limited Understanding of Emotions
Currently, AI has limited abilities to comprehend emotions and nonverbal communication. The chatbot may need to grasp important context and emotions, leading to incorrect or tone-deaf responses to statements.
Programmers younger than the target audience may overlook crucial information when programming an AI robot or app. They may treat all seniors alike instead of understanding the nuances of subsections within the senior population. If AI is used for companionship, these problems can intensify feelings of loneliness.
Ageism and Racism
AI chatbots have made ageist, racist, and homophobic statements due to being trained on material containing such views. The World Health Organization has specifically called out this problem concerning seniors. AI must undergo unbiased training before it can fulfill its potential.
Overdependence
Seniors may become overly dependent on their AI devices and applications for companionship. They may start living in a computer-assisted world that satisfies their needs. However, AI doesn’t replace human companionship, according to Lee et al., so it cannot become someone’s entire world without adverse effects.
Bottom Line
AI has the potential to assist seniors much like it can help others. However, due to age bias, cost, and other challenges, AI can also have negative impacts on seniors. You will have to decide when the benefits outweigh the issues for you.
References
Mehebuba, M. (2023, May 29). AI for Seniors: Does It Enhance or Impair Quality of Life? BoomersHub. https://www.boomershub.com/blog/ai-for-seniors-does-it-enhance-or-impair-quality-of-life
Lee, H., Chung, M. A., Kim, H., & Nam, E. W. (2022). The Effect of Cognitive Function Health Care Using Artificial Intelligence Robots for Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JMIR aging, 5(2), e38896. https://doi.org/10.2196/38896
Ausubel, Jacob (2020, March 10). Older people are more likely to live alone in the U.S. than elsewhere in the world. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/03/10/older-people-are-more-likely-to-live-alone-in-the-u-s-than-elsewhere-in-the-world/
World Health Organization (2022, February 9). Ensuring artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for health benefit older people. https://www.who.int/news/item/09-02-2022-ensuring-artificial-intelligence-(ai)-technologies-for-health-benefit-older-people
US Surgeon General (2023). Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
Marsh, A. R. (2024, January 22). Tell Me No Lies: The Controversy Over Erotic Chatbots Continues. Future of Sex. https://futureofsex.net/immersive-entertainment/tell-me-no-lies-the-controversy-over-erotic-chatbots-continues/
