By Stuart Kerr, Technology Correspondent
Published: 21 July 2025
Last Updated: 21 July 2025
Contact: liveaiwire@gmail.com | Twitter: @LiveAIWire
Author Bio: About Stuart Kerr
As artificial intelligence reshapes the world at breakneck speed, one question remains quietly but urgently overlooked: where does this leave the older generation? While algorithms predict our spending, manage our health, and suggest our next holiday, seniors are often left navigating a digital terrain they never asked for, using tools designed without them in mind.
A Quiet Disconnection
The age gap in AI adoption isn’t just generational—it’s functional. Many elderly people find themselves locked out of services that are rapidly becoming AI-first. Whether it’s booking medical appointments, applying for benefits, or receiving telehealth consultations, the shift to automation can feel more alienating than empowering.
As detailed in From Cradle to Care Home, AI technologies that are meant to age with us often fail to address late adopters’ real-world needs. The systems learn, but only from users who already know how to speak their language.
Barriers to Entry
The issue is more complex than access to technology. It’s about trust, cognitive load, and interface design. A 2024 study in JMIR Aging found that seniors who engage with AI-driven health tools often experience anxiety, not efficiency. Many worry that they’ll break the system, misinterpret advice, or lose access to human help entirely.
Moreover, a paper in Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications highlights that digital self-efficacy—the confidence to try, fail, and adapt in digital environments—is significantly lower among older adults, especially those without ongoing family support or community tech literacy programs.
When Assistance Becomes Dependence
Paradoxically, even well-designed AI systems intended to support older people can become sources of disempowerment. In Rewired Brains, we explored the therapeutic possibilities of neuroadaptive technologies. But what happens when decision-making is quietly handed over to machines, and human autonomy erodes by design?
An open-access Frontiers PDF report warns of a growing trend: older users treated more like data nodes than individuals, with algorithms “deciding” what reminders they need, what medication they should question, or when to eat.
Caregiving or Surveillance?
In care homes, smart cameras and AI-powered emotion trackers are now marketed as safety enhancements. But critics argue that these tools can easily veer into surveillance. Who controls the data? Who explains the decisions? As AI tools become embedded in physical environments, the line between protection and paternalism becomes dangerously thin.
In The Automation Divide, we noted how technological evolution risks outpacing ethical regulation. That divide grows sharper when applied to ageing populations already marginalised by digital infrastructure.
Real-World Consequences
A CYPHER Learning survey showed that only 27% of seniors over 70 in the UK have interacted with AI-driven platforms, compared to over 80% of Gen Z. This gap isn't merely statistical. It reflects missed medical diagnoses, unclaimed benefits, and worsening social isolation.
For those with limited mobility, AI-powered tools could be lifelines. But without inclusive design and targeted digital education, they become locked doors.
Bridging the Divide
Solutions exist. Multimodal interfaces, simplified voice assistants, and co-designed tech initiatives have shown promise. But as long as AI systems are trained on behaviours from younger, digitally fluent populations, they risk reinforcing exclusion.
The AI revolution promises universality but often forgets the universal truth of ageing. If technology is to truly serve humanity, it must not leave its elders behind in the algorithmic dust.
About the Author
Stuart Kerr is the Technology Correspondent for LiveAIWire. He writes about artificial intelligence, ethics, and how technology is reshaping everyday life. Read more