Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Aug 25, 2024
Open Peer Review Period: Aug 26, 2024 - Oct 21, 2024
Date Accepted: Oct 29, 2024
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Older Adults' Preferences for Caregiving AI Chatbots to Improve Well-being and Social Connectivity
ABSTRACT
Background:
The increasing number of older adults who are living alone poses challenges for maintaining their well-being, as they often need support with daily tasks, healthcare services, and social connections. However, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have revolutionized healthcare and caregiving via their capacity to monitor health, provide medication and appointment reminders, and companionship to older adults. Nevertheless, the adaptability of these technologies for older adults are stymied by useability issues. This study explores how older adults use and adapt to AI technologies, highlighting both the persistent barriers and opportunities for potential enhancements.
Objective:
The study purpose was to provide deeper insights into older adults' engagement with technology and AI. The technologies currently used, potential technologies desired for daily life integration, personal technology concerns faced, and overall attitudes towards technology and AI are explored.
Methods:
Using mixed-methods, participants (N = 28) completed both a semi-structured interview and surveys consisting of health and well-being measures. Participants then participated in a research team facilitated interaction with an AI chatbot, Amazon Alexa. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis, and surveys were evaluated using descriptive statistics.
Results:
Participants ranged in age from 65 to 84 years. Digital devices were most commonly used for entertainment, health management, professional productivity, and social connectivity. Participants were most interested in integrating technology in their personal life for scheduling reminders, chore assistance, and for providing care to others. Challenges in using new technology included commitment to learning, a lack of privacy, and a worry about future technology dependence. Overall, their attitudes coalesced towards early adapters, those wary, and those who were resisters of technology and AI.
Conclusions:
To ensure that AI technologies effectively support older adults, it's essential to foster ongoing dialogue among developers, older adults, families, and their caregivers, focusing on inclusive designs to meet older adults’ needs.
Citation
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Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.