AI

The AARP survey of ‘Jobs to be Done’ by AI shows readiness for health-related AI.  Health-related opportunities were cited – medication tracking, personalized wellness guidance, and active living reminders. At the same time, the report asserts that adoption depends on trust, customization and integration into day-to-day life.  What stands between today’s AI offerings and that next stage of adoption, which will be dependent on our trust of the technology.

For some, the jury should still be out.  Clearly the tech vendors, surrounded by media and investor enthusiasm, are proud of what they are (or almost, so, so close!) doing. The theory, of course, is that consumers are already using their tools to answer health questions, so why not formalize the offering, describing how initial usage (Boston Children’s Hospital, etc.) results are positive. Ah, but even OpenAI the company, is not so certain: When asked about ChatGPT’s reliability with health facts, a spokeswoman said its models had become more reliable and accurate in health scenarios compared with previous versions, but she also didn’t provide hard numbers showing hallucination rates when giving medical advice.

As they do each year since 2016, AARP surveys the 50+ about tech.  AARP’s new Tech Trends and the 50+ offers a sharp reminder about what’s changed in tech ownership over the past decade. We have moved from desktop computers and simple cell phones, email and browsing to today's plethora of tech choice. The report reflects what we can see all around us – 90% of the 50+ have smartphones, texting is their lead communication method, and 90% use social media.  Unfortunately, the report continues to frame the older adult as age 50+. With a life expectancy at 65 extending into the 80s and beyond, this 35+ year span called ‘older adult’ might as well be replaced with ‘everybody.’ Maybe next year, the report will begin to examine the preferences of the 80+ in detail, as this Link-age Connect 2025 survey does. Why doe it matter? In January, 2026, the baby boomers start to turn 80 -- 10,000 per day for the next 20 years.