The hype still outpaces adoption. According to the Wall Street Journal in August, companies are slowing their rate of AI adoption amidst some stumbles among innovators. As in the 2023 report, there is still trepidation, and the Pew Research April 2025 study shows that experts are more optimistic than the general public about AI’s potential. Are older adults lagging today’s pace of adoption of AI?
Adoption of AI by older adults will depend on their trust of the results. According to the Edelman 2026 Trust Barometer, the most powerful drivers of AI enthusiasm are trust and information, with hesitation rooted more in unfamiliarity than negative experiences. As older people use AI more and “experience its ability to help them learn, work, and solve problems, their confidence rises sharply.”
AI technology is on the radar of the labor-challenged home care industry. The home care industry is facing a labor crisis. The care worker shortage (including doctors, nurses and nursing assistants) is severe and well-documented. Driven by demographic shifts, longer life expectancy, and rising rates of chronic illness and cognitive decline, the demand for in-home personal care and home health care is surging. The 2025 Future of Home Care Study surveyed that industry’s executives about the shortage of workers. That shortage underpins the growing adoption of hybrid care models – an increasingly likely combination of in-person care and use of AI.
AI is increasingly top of mind in senior living and nursing homes. In this October 2024 report, senior living and nursing home executives weighed in on the role that AI may currently offer and will likely play in the future. They see the potential to optimize their workforce and obtain better insights into their residents' needs. Within a few years, AI may no longer be described as a separate category -- but its features of machine learning, customized vocabulary and conversational responses will be expected and provided.
…AI in healthcare today – excited, planning, and…almost adopting. Nowhere is the hype greater, and the optimism more tempered by caution than in healthcare. PwC for example in July 2025: “in the age of AI, six months can be a leap forward. AI success hinges more on bold ambition than on early adoption. As AI agents gain traction, AI investment is rising even faster.” Initiatives involve transforming documentation with AI listening, use of AI agents, and adoption of new buzzwords like ‘Responsible AI’ to help overcome enterprise anxiet
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AI and Older Adults - What's Now and Next
