When it comes to AI tools and older adults, there’s a lot of potential for good. Chatbots, for example, could help alleviate loneliness. But there are also risks. And Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly wants Congress to address the power of AI.
On Monday, Kelly urged the Senate Special Committee on Aging to hold a hearing on how chatbots and digital companions are impacting the lives of seniors.
In his letter to the committee's chairs, he wrote that while these tools offer opportunities for independence — such as medication reminders — there’s also evidence of exploitation and harm to seniors. Chatbots, he wrote, could be manipulated to craft phishing emails and possibly supercharge scams already targeting older adults.
Kelly said a hearing would give lawmakers the chance to determine what regulatory or legislative reforms might be necessary to support safe design of these tools and ensure vulnerabilities are addressed.
-
A new clinical trial wants participants who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and screen positive for the bacteria that causes gingivitis. -
Older adults are having sex, and they’re not always using protection. Context is important here: Protection to one generation might mean from pregnancy. They might not consider STIs. And stigma remains a barrier. -
There were more than 50 million licensed drivers in the U.S. over the age of 65 in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; that was a 77% increase since 2004. -
DoorDash has partnered with Kroger to provide grocery delivery access for SNAP recipients across the country, including in Arizona. -
When we think about autism spectrum disorder, we often think of children. But ASD isn’t new. It was formally recognized in 1980, which means those who received a diagnosis then are now middle-aged. Now, research shows there could be a link between Autism and Alzheimer's disease.
