AI could fuel ageism in care settings
Using artificial intelligence in aged care homes can exacerbate ageism and social inequality, due to stereotypes about older people, a Monash University study has found.
The study, published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, found pushing artificial intelligence (AI) technology — from robots to voice assistants — into aged care can exacerbate ageist views due to the choices of carers on how best to use technology for older people in these settings.
The paper revealed the value of AI to help solve aged care issues including loneliness of residents through chat, video and image sharing, through to medical diagnosis and assessments tools, but also highlighted the challenges.
“AI can perpetuate ageism and exacerbate existing social inequalities,” lead author Dr Barbara Barbosa Neves said.
“When implementing AI technologies in aged care, we must consider them as part of a suite of care services and not as isolated solutions.”
The study suggests more work is needed to design and implement AI technology that considers how older people are viewed in society. Ageism can be generated when older people are seen as dependent, incompetent and uninterested in technology, rather than engaged.
According to the study, AI developers and aged care staff assume lack of interest and/or capacity of older people to use the technology.
Aged care staff and advocates can be critical about the value of AI to solve care issues with concerns of replacing humans with robots, and about who is responsible for machinery failures.
The study revealed the need to change stereotypes about aged care residents and create technologies that are designed for, and are inclusive of, older people.
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety addressed the need to emphasise the autonomy and dignity of older people in care.
“The use of AI in aged care must be done with consideration of the potential impact of these technologies on wellbeing, autonomy and dignity of older residents,” Neves said.
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