Shaping Inclusive AI for Ageing Societies
Artificial intelligence and algorithmic technologies are becoming increasingly embedded in the everyday lives of older adults, shaping access to information, services, healthcare, care and social relationships. At the same time, these technologies raise important questions about inclusion and participation in ageing societies. AI systems may reproduce age and other forms of bias, while the skills, infrastructures and forms of access required to use them can create new barriers. Technologies designed for older adults may also incorporate assumptions about their needs, abilities and identities that do not reflect the diversity of later life.
The conference “Shaping Inclusive AI for Ageing Societies” brings together researchers from socio-gerontechnology and related fields to examine how artificial intelligence can be developed, designed and implemented in ways that support more inclusive ageing. It provides a space for interdisciplinary exchange on how older adults experience, negotiate and shape emerging technologies, as well as on the social, political and ethical conditions under which these technologies are introduced.
A central question running through the conference is how AI can move beyond assumptions of a homogeneous “older user” and instead respond to the diverse needs, experiences and realities of ageing populations. By bringing together different theoretical perspectives, empirical approaches and experiences of working with older adults, the conference aims to contribute to a more critical and inclusive understanding of AI in ageing societies.
Panels and discussions will explore a broad range of themes, including feminist and intersectional approaches to AI and ageing; AI and health; co-creation and participatory design with older adults; digital inequalities and support networks; emerging theoretical approaches in gerontechnology; AI policy and governance; communicative AI and assistive technologies; and the role of technology in shaping emotions and identity. The conference will also reflect on past developments and future directions in research on technology and ageing, fostering discussion about emerging challenges, approaches and opportunities in the field.