Evaluating Older Adults' Engagement and Usability With AI-Driven Interventions: Randomized Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Background:

• AI-powered assistant technologies are increasingly used for daily tasks and entertainment.
• AI holds potential for delivering health interventions to older adults for symptom management and self-care.
• Understanding older adults' engagement and usability of AI is crucial for effective intervention delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe older adults' engagement with routines facilitated by a conversational AI assistant.
• To explore the impact of personality traits on AI technology engagement and usability in older adults.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week randomized pilot trial involving 50 older adults (≥60 years) with chronic musculoskeletal pain living alone.
• Participants were assigned to standard or enhanced intervention groups using Amazon Alexa for twice-daily prescribed routines.
• Data collected included routine engagement, perceived AI usability, and personality trait analysis.

Main Results:

• Morning routines were initiated more frequently (74%) than evening routines (62%).
• Older adults in the enhanced group reported good usability (mean 74.50), while the standard group reported acceptable usability (mean 66.29).
• Higher extraversion predicted higher routine initiation; higher agreeableness and conscientiousness predicted better usability.

Conclusions:

• AI assistant-delivered routines are feasible interventions for older adults.
• Personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness) significantly influence older adults' engagement and usability of AI interventions.
• Considering personality factors is vital for optimizing AI-driven health interventions in older populations.