Xiayu Summer Chen, an assistant professor of social work in UCF's College of Health Professions and Sciences, is using generative artificial intelligence to help older adults and their caregivers navigate an increasingly digital world. Her interest grew from personal experience: raised by her grandparents in Canton, China, she went on to college in Beijing and graduate school in New York City, and her grandparents had never used social media or video calling. She drew step-by-step painting instructions to teach them both, and after her grandmother died during the COVID-19 pandemic she made video tutorials her grandfather could watch on his phone.
Chen graduated from New York University in 2019 and worked as a patient ambassador at Maimonides Cancer Center, where services shifted online during the pandemic and many patients had low digital literacy. Over the past two years she has authored nine journal articles and book chapters examining the digital divide among older adults and the use of technology to address dementia, loneliness and mental health. According to a report on technology trends and adults 50 and older, 60% of adults in that age group feel technology is not designed with their age in mind. U.S. Census Bureau projections cited in the source say that by 2030 one in five Americans will be 65 or older, outnumbering children under 18 for the first time.
Her work has led to Wise to AI, a gamified learning platform she built with generative AI. It introduces users to AI and chatbots and teaches them to recognize AI-powered scams, guided by an animated dog modeled after her own Shiba Inu, Rumi. One module covers AI romance scams, in which users follow a scenario and, when they choose incorrectly, are urged by the avatar to call a family member first. Users earn a certificate after completing enough lessons.
Press release issued by UCF Today:
https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-researcher-harnesses-ai-to-help-older-adults-thrive-in-a-tech-driven-world/
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