Synthetic intelligence is a energetic subject of dialog in colleges and workplaces, which could lead on you to consider that solely youthful individuals use it. Nonetheless, older People are additionally utilizing AI. This raises the questions of what they’re doing with the expertise and what they consider it.
I’m a researcher who research older age, incapacity, and expertise use. I partnered with the College of Michigan’s Nationwide Ballot on Wholesome Getting old to survey practically 3,000 People over the age of fifty. We requested them whether or not and the way they use AI and what considerations they’ve about utilizing it.
Of the older individuals we surveyed, 55% responded that they’d used some sort of AI expertise that they’ll converse to, like Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, or sort to, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot. Voice assistants had been overwhelmingly extra standard than textual content chatbots: Half of them reported utilizing a voice assistant throughout the previous yr, in comparison with one in 4 who used a chatbot.
Common, amongst some
Unbiased dwelling continues to be a serious objective of older People as they both don’t wish to or are unable to afford to stay in long-term care communities, and AI could also be a software to help this objective. Our findings present that older adults who use AI of their properties discover it useful for dwelling independently and safely.
They principally used these applied sciences for leisure or looking for data, however a few of their responses present extra inventive makes use of, resembling producing textual content, creating photographs, or planning holidays.
Almost one in three older adults reported utilizing AI-powered house safety units, together with doorbells, outside cameras, and alarm programs. Almost all of these individuals—96%—felt safer utilizing them.
Whereas there was some concern about privateness when utilizing cameras indoors to watch older individuals, cameras aimed open air appear to offer a way of safety for many who could also be ageing of their properties alone or with out household close by. Of the 35% of older adults who reported utilizing AI-powered house safety programs, 96% stated they had been helpful.
Nonetheless, once we dove into which older adults are utilizing AI, we noticed that demographics matter. Particularly, these in higher well being, with extra schooling, and better incomes had been extra more likely to have used AI-powered voice assistants and residential safety units previously yr. This sample appears to comply with adoption traits of different applied sciences resembling smartphones.
Trusting AI is difficult
As extra details about AI’s accuracy emerges, so do questions on whether or not individuals can belief it. Our survey outcomes present that older People are cut up on whether or not to belief content material that was generated by AI: 54% stated they belief AI, and 46% stated they don’t. Individuals who trusted AI extra had been extra more likely to have used some sort of AI expertise throughout the previous yr.
Additional, AI-generated content material can generally look right however be inaccurate. With the ability to determine incorrect data from AI is essential for assessing whether or not and learn how to use AI-generated search outcomes or chatbots. Nonetheless, solely half of the older individuals surveyed had been assured that they might determine whether or not content material from AI was incorrect.
Extra educated customers had been extra more likely to say they felt assured they might spot inaccuracies. Conversely, older adults who reported decrease ranges of bodily and psychological well being had been much less more likely to belief AI-generated content material.
What to do?
Collectively, these findings repeat a standard cycle of expertise adoption that’s pervasive even amongst youthful demographics, the place extra educated and wholesome individuals are among the many first to undertake and pay attention to newer applied sciences. This raises questions on how greatest to succeed in all older individuals about the advantages and dangers of AI.
How can older people who find themselves not AI customers get help for studying extra in order that they’ll make knowledgeable choices about whether or not to make use of it? How can establishments develop higher coaching and consciousness instruments in order that older individuals who belief AI keep away from trusting it an excessive amount of or inappropriately utilizing AI to make essential choices with out understanding the dangers?
Our survey outcomes spotlight potential beginning factors for growing AI literacy instruments for older adults. 9 in ten older individuals wished to know when data had been generated by AI. We’re beginning to see AI labels on search engine outcomes, resembling Google search’s AI snippets.
Michigan and different states have adopted insurance policies for disclosing AI content material in political advertisements, however these notices could possibly be made extra seen in different contexts, resembling nonpolitical promoting and on social media. Additional, practically 80% of older individuals wished to be taught extra about AI dangers—the place would possibly it go fallacious and what to do about it.
Policymakers can give attention to imposing AI notices that sign content material was generated by AI, notably at a important time when the U.S. is contemplating revising its AI insurance policies to just do the alternative—eradicating language about danger, discrimination, and misinformation—primarily based on a brand new govt order.
Total, our findings present that AI can help wholesome ageing. Nonetheless, overtrust and distrust of AI could possibly be addressed with higher coaching instruments and insurance policies to make dangers extra seen.
Robin Brewer is an affiliate professor of knowledge on the College of Michigan.
This text is republished from The Dialog underneath a Artistic Commons license. Learn the unique article.
