Age-Friendly AI came to Galway on the 18th of June for a discussion about Artificial Intelligence (AI). This event brought together older adults and community groups to explore hopes for the future of AI, while sharing concerns about the technology and thinking about how to make AI research and developments more age friendly.

The event provided an opportunity for participants to learn about AI and have a chat about the potential of AI to support several areas, such as healthy ageing, social connection, and community engagement.

If you are interested in knowing more about our activities and events, please have a look at our event page on our website. We are looking forward to seeing you in one of our upcoming events!

The discussion in Galway explored the following main areas:

• What are your hopes for AI in the future?
• What are your biggest concerns about AI?
• What ideas do you have for making AI more age-friendly?

Embracing the Potential for AI

• Participants hope AI can help older people stay independent and act as a supportive tool for everyday living and learning.
• AI could be used as a tool to provide healthcare support, particularly in rural and isolated areas.
• A hope for AI is that it can assist people with disabilities.

Concerns

• There is a concern about the accuracy of AI-generated content and that the biases built into AI could unfairly exclude some people or disadvantage them.
• AI might make it easy for people to scam others or get personal information (data).
• People who don’t use AI might feel left behind, making issues like the “Digital Divide” worse. (the Digital Divide is where some people have more education and access to technology than others)

Ideas for Making AI More Age-Friendly

• Educational programmes, workshops and courses for all ages, particularly in libraries and community organisations, can ensure that people can embrace AI technologies.
• Designing AI with simple easy-to-use controls will make the technology more accessible for everyone and help people overcome challenges and barriers when they use it.
• Building AI with ethical considerations in mind right from the start is key to making sure it is age-friendly and accessible for everyone.

The lively discussion in Galway showed the importance of including many different viewpoints as we build this AI initiative. We’re looking forward to continuing these valuable dialogues and making sure that older people across Ireland are an active part of shaping the future of AI.