The hype about ChatGPT and its peers has revolutionized the tech world. And it is clear from current research that this revolution isn’t temporary, nor is it even sudden. Though with its initial user calculation at 100 million, it now appears the fastest growing ‘consumer’ application in history. And it is fair to say that the applications of it are making its way into the world of older adults, this AARP article describes its uses for older adults in generating a letter to contest a medical bill. And it notes the ability to ‘provide companionship, offer mental stimulation, share stories and experiences, and suggest hobbies and activities.’ Although the article claimed on Feb 28 that there was no mobile version, Bing Search (an alternative mechanism) has this interactive chat built in, including support for multiple languages) and available for any smartphone. And ChatGPT can be accessed through any mobile browser.
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Honor Technology, Inc., the world's largest home care network for older adults with the most-advanced Care Platform technology, today announced that executives will be leading three panel discussions at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2023 in Austin, Texas. Set for March 11 as part of the SXSW 2023 Health & MedTech Track, the panels will explore a variety of topics touching on the need for infrastructure and communities to support seniors aging in place and the technology and investment opportunities.
CHIANG MAI, Thailand (February 17, 2023)— A new check-in service for seniors living alone named “I’m Still Okay” was launched on February 17. “I’m Still Okay” is a balanced approach to preparing for emergencies in a dignified and empowering manner.
David Freidberg, a 73 years old American who lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand, conceived of the idea of a service for seniors living alone. But only after working with his friend Jouni Flemming, a software engineer from Finland, this idea materialized into an online service called “I’m Still Okay”.
February – that’s when the 2023 AI hysterical hype cycle went into full gear. You know a topic is important when leading media sites like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal become irrational and contribute to the general cacophony – even offering up worries from, wait for it, Henry Kissinger and Eric Schmidt – Kissinger is 98, but apparently still trying out new software tools. Eric Schmidt was former CEO of Google – he should be worried. But the article ChatGPT Heralds an Intellectual Revolution was the whipped cream on top of the icing on the cake. Its subtitle: "Generative artificial intelligence presents a philosophical and practical challenge on a scale not experienced since the start of the Enlightenment."
These two letters, AI, have risen to top of tech talk and media minds. A quick search reveals near hysteria in the media and near panic among leading tech firms. And even the Federal Trade Commission is wary of the current hype and AI-powered marketing claims. Experts warn about the need for ‘guardrails’ against tools giving inappropriate answers, and they worry about ethics to underpin the answers of tools like ChatGPT. So as a result, tech firms want you to know that they are working on appropriate fixes. As is typical of hype cycles, initial innovation is viewed as astounding, followed by efforts to break or downplay it. Which means it will become very useful.
Parks Associates' update this week is illuminating. In offering up a chart and commentary about tech in the ‘connected’ home, note trouble and aggravation. In addition, half of all households reported difficulty in setting up their Wi-Fi network (see Figure 1). Consider the first 3 reasons for returning (installation, learning features, configuring settings). Those reading this blog can look around their own home – noting a Wi-Fi network, smartphone, smart speaker, or in some homes a smart doorbell, thermostat, refrigerator – or a too-smart car. Aside from returning a product that is baffling to deal with, what should people, not just older adults do? As new products proliferate, 6 or more devices in the home, what will they do?
This white paper describes UK older adult trends -- and describes an initiative to describe technologies and services, The Internet of Caring Things, that serves older adults and provides business opportunities for vendors and services.
Can tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E be helpful to older adults? Of course, in the ways it can be helpful to any adult. The simple examples – retrieval of information and generated images seem very different from traditional (ad-driven) search tools. Given the early user base of ChatGPT (optimizing language models for dialogue), 100 million within the first few months, clearly developers, investors, and consumers agree. And multiple other companies are jumping into the market, perhaps playing catchup with early entrants. DALL-E (creating images from text captions) and other generative AI have become, uh, visible, and perhaps really useful in film-making and video game development. But how will this category be applied in the older adult marketplace, either for them directly or for those who serve them?