By Claire Rogers and Yashar Moshfeghi at the NeuraSearch Laboratory
On October 29th, the NeuraSearch Laboratory at the University of Strathclyde held their public engagement event, ‘Dementia in the Age of Gen-AI’ as part of the Festival of Social Sciences. This interactive public-facing event aimed to facilitate discussions around how the latest advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and particularly Generative AI (Gen-AI) technologies could be leveraged to improve the daily lives and care of people with dementia.
The motivation behind this event was the recognition that dementia poses significant challenges for both those living with the condition and their caregivers. As our population continues to age, the number of people affected by dementia is steadily rising, with current statistics predicting that by 2030, the number of people with dementia in the UK will exceed 1 million. However, emerging AI and Gen-AI tools may hold unique solutions to enhance dementia care and independent living support.
Research and Valuable Insights
Through this event, our team sought to explore the current state of AI/Gen-AI technologies and their potential applications in dementia care. We examined how conversational AI assistants, smart home automation, cognitive assessment tools, and other AI-powered solutions could support daily tasks, improve safety, enable remote monitoring, and provide companionship for individuals with dementia.
Our lab also shared ongoing research findings and insights from our current studies, highlighting the opportunities and challenges we have identified in implementing AI solutions for dementia care.
Engaging Communities
By opening this event to the public, we aimed to foster a collaborative, community-driven dialogue. Attendees were able to participate in discussions, ask questions, and share their own experiences and perspectives. This direct engagement allowed us to better understand the needs, concerns, and aspirations of those who have an interest in and experience with dementia.
We strongly believe that opening this conversation with the public is an important first step in ensuring that AI technologies are developed and implemented in ways that truly serve the dementia community. The insights gathered will inform future research and development efforts, ensuring that any AI-based solutions are designed with the end-user in mind and address the real-world challenges faced by the dementia community.
Looking Ahead
The Dementia in the Age of Gen-AI event was a great success, sparking productive conversations and igniting enthusiasm around the potential of AI to enhance dementia care. As we move forward, we remain committed to continuing this important work and driving meaningful progress in the application of transformative technologies to improve the quality of life for those affected by dementia.