Back

 Industry News Details

 
5 Ways Artificial Intelligence May Help Us Live At Home Longer Posted on : May 22 - 2017

Richard Adler knows a few things about the uneasy relationship between older adults and technology.

It’s something that Adler, a distinguished research fellow at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, Calif., has been studying for more than 25 years. One thing, in particular, has struck him.

“The truth is that a lot of older adults are technophobes,” he said. “They tend to be classically late adopters of almost any technology." Even though they are the ones with the most to gain from embracing the latest technology, Adler said.

Hesitant About Artificial Intelligence

That wariness may especially be true when it comes to the digital innovation that seems destined to become the next game-changer — artificial intelligence or AI. The name alone conjures up notions of talking robots and other brainy devices. That can seem creepy to older adults, not to mention that the idea of being around thinking machines can make them anxious about losing privacy or perhaps even worse, constantly being reminded of their own slipping cognitive skills.

Actually, artificial intelligence covers a lot of ground. But put simply, “intelligent” machines, instead of just being programmed to do a task step by step, are able to learn by recognizing patterns, classifying data and adjusting to mistakes they make.

Helping Older Adults Stay at Home

It’s that ability to draw conclusions from enormous amounts of data that’s making AI a key component of efforts to help ensure that older adults can remain living in their own homes later in their lives.

Here are five examples:

1. Talking devices are interacting with humans in more engaging ways.

First, there was Apple’s Siri, followed by Amazon Echo and Google Home — a wave of devices with impressive voice recognition skills that can answer questions, play music and help keep the temperature in your home just right.

Now, the next generation of home assistants is being developed. They are being designed to connect more with their housemates, and not simply respond to requests.

A good example is ElliQ, a device created by an Israeli company called Intuition Robotics, and now being tested in the San Francisco area. ElliQ looks more like a desk lamp than an archetypal robot. But while it’s meant to sit on a table or nightstand, it's hardly static. ElliQ is designed to interact more effectively with humans by mimicking them. In fact, one of its key characteristics is what its designers describe as “body language.”

Not only does ElliQ talk, it also moves. When a person speaks to it, ElliQ leans in his or her direction. Or it might turn to its separate screen component to join its owner looking at new photos of grandchildren. It also uses lights of varying brightness and differing volume levels to get its message across.

That’s part of ElliQ’s learning process. One of its roles is to help owners meet goals they have set, such as taking a daily walk. Through experience, ElliQ determines what kind of “coaching” is more effective for certain people — gentle reminders or more insistent prodding.

2. Analysis of data gathered by sensors can help predict problems.

Scientists are also finding they can learn quite a bit about the behaviors of older adults through sensors installed in their homes. And, they say, using AI algorithms to evaluate patterns of activity from the data those sensors collect can help them make predictions about what behavior changes might mean.

“AI can help us create a snapshot of an activity,” explained Guido Pusiol, a researcher at Stanford’s Program in AI-Assisted Care. “Different activities have different duration times and that information can be used to trigger that someone may have an issue.”

For example, if a person takes an unusually long time to leave the bedroom in the morning, it could mean he has fallen, according to Pusiol, who noted that most falls by older people occur near their beds. Sensors might also detect that a person is starting to have difficulty getting into the shower, and that could alert caregivers or family members that an aide may be needed to help in the future. View More