In the recent Age-Friendly AI Citizens’ Think-In in Limerick, we talked with our participants about three main topics: the role of AI in healthcare, data privacy, and the rise of digital misinformation. While attendees agreed that AI can be beneficial in healthcare settings, significant concerns have been shared with us.

We talked about many topics during the group discussions, including concerns about lack of control over personal information, fear of data being shared with third parties and the importance of verifying online information, particularly in today’s fast-changing digital world.

Here are the main topics that were discussed at the event:

AI in Healthcare

• Benefit: AI is valued for its potential to save time and accelerate early diagnosis in healthcare.
• Privacy: Participants mentioned that decisions about who can see your health data (privacy) must be handled by medical experts or the government, instead of private companies.
• Human oversight: it has been highlighted that AI must function only as a guide for the doctor, who must always be the one taking the final decision.

Trust in Data

• Personalisation: Participants mentioned that people should be able to customise AI systems so that it can be adapted for individual needs and can be more useful.
• Opting out: Participants highlighted the importance of being provided an alternative to using AI.
• Simple rules: Terms and conditions are often too long and complicated, and must be clearer and easier for everyone to understand how their information is being used and who has access to it.

 Misinformation

• Double-checking: It has been mentioned that we have a personal responsibility to verify online content with trusted sources. If untrue information is being shared, the individual should inform people that it is fake.
• How to check: Participants suggested using tools such as Google Fact Check, checking if a company has been officially approved by a regulator, or making sure a health report is not “motivated by sales”.
• Fast pace: It has been emphasised that social media moves so fast that there is “no time” to verify, raising the concern of a long term effect on people’s attention span.