AI and Active Aging Conference 2025

NegotiAge: Development and Evaluation of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Family Caregiver Negotiation Program

Abstract: In the U.S. over 44 million family caregivers provide unpaid assistance and support to older adults. Caregiving is associated with decline in physical health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life. The purpose of the research was to design and evaluate conflict management training for family caregivers with the goal of empowering them to negotiate conflict situations more effectively. IAGO, an LLM model designed for human-agent negotiations was transformed into NegotiAge which uses Ury, Brett, and Goldberg’s three approaches to resolving disputes: Interests, Rights, and Power (IRP). In the evaluation phase of the project, 124 caregivers were randomly assigned to one to four negotiation exercises. All had access to instructional videos explaining IRP, a planning document, and negotiation tips. Results showed that caregivers’ knowledge of IRP improved with training and that knowledge was sustained over three months. At the three-month follow-up, 74% of participants reported having used the training in their caregiving role; 42% reported applying it in other areas of their lives. Caregivers reported shifting their conflict resolution strategies away from power dynamics toward shared interests. This research demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of training caregivers to negotiate the resolution of conflict.

The benefits (and peril) of conversational agents for human well-being

Abstract: In this talk, I will review several projects from our group exploring how conversational agents can enhance human well-being.  In the domain of mental health screening, military veterans disclosed more symptoms of PTSD to a virtual interviewer than to a human clinician. In therapeutic contexts, people reported greater comfort receiving cognitive support from a conversational agent than a human partner. To address loneliness, we found that an agent-delivered micro-intervention reduced loneliness by improving weak ties. Finally, we demonstrated how AI partners can help people practice and improve their conflict-resolution skills. While these systems deliver measurable benefits, they also carry potential hazards.  They may compromise privacy by encouraging self-disclosure beyond a participant’s comfort, foster dependency on algorithmic advice, or perhaps most insidiously, diminish motivation to form and sustain human relationships. I conclude by outlining strategies to mitigate these risks and argue that understanding such dynamics demands deeper interdisciplinary research at the intersection of affective science, human-AI interaction, and ethics.

Re-imagining rehabilitation for Individuals Living with Chronic Stroke to Maximize Health and Participation in Daily life

Abstract: Stroke remains a leading cause of long-term disability in Korea with the impact being greatest for older stroke survivors. Over a third of stroke survivors report living with disability while over half report one or more unmet needs in the chronic phase of recovery.

For aging stroke survivors, the ultimate goals are to minimize disability and optimize health and participation in daily life. How can rehabilitation services be re-imagined to facilitate stroke survivors to move more, think more, and socialize more? Mobile technologies offer unique opportunities to expand the reach of clinicians into the community and to shift the therapy environment from the clinic to the patient’s daily life.

An overview of stroke will be provided including the sequelae of clinical symptoms, patterns of recovery, special considerations for the aging stroke survivor, followed by strategies for leveraging technology to optimize health and participation in daily life.

The role of AI support for coaching to enhance older adults’ wellbeing

Abstract: As the global population ages, older adults face growing physical and psychological challenges such as loneliness, cognitive decline, and loss of social roles. Coaching for aging well may offer numerous benefits, including improved physical health management, enhanced emotional and mental well-being, and increased social connectedness. It can be a highly effective intervention in helping people to be prepared for age-related adjustments and to make the necessary changes to live more fulfilling, empowered, and connected lives; however, coaching for aging well is an underdeveloped research area so far. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including chatbots and voice-based systems, offer new pathways to emotional support and mental stimulation. One distinction differentiates between the use of AI systems as a complete replacement for human coaches and ‘AI-augmented coaching’ with AI supporting or supplementing coaching by coaches. Drawing upon positive psychology’s well-being concepts, I will review studies using AI for health and well-being coaching of older adults and their findings and discuss potential applications for AI-augmented coaching.   

 Rehabilitation Robotics for Aging and Disability