SRI Seminar Series: Rosalie Wang, “The future of our everyday lives: Older adults, caregivers, and AI-enabled health and social care”

Our weekly SRI Seminar Series welcomes Rosalie Wang, an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto, and Schwartz Reisman Institute faculty fellow. Wang is an affiliate scientist at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and a member of their AI and Robotics in Rehabilitation team. Wang’s research focuses on developing and implementing technology to enable daily activity participation and social inclusion of seniors. She also leads research in robotics for post-stroke rehabilitation, and on the use of information and communication technologies by seniors with cognitive impairments. As an AGE-WELL investigator she leads a national project on enhancing equitable access to assistive technologies.

In this talk, Wang will discuss applications for AI-enabled assistive care technologies that are currently in development to support the anticipated demand for tools and services to support older adults to live independently and safely, with a focus on their potential impacts on interpersonal relationships and ethical concerns.

Talk title:

“The future of our everyday lives: Older adults, caregivers, and AI-enabled health and social care”

Abstract:

By 2030, there will be approximately 1.4 billion older adults worldwide, which is a 34% increase from the year 2019. The experience of various and multiple health conditions associated with aging can contribute to disability, and the need for enhanced health and social care. AI-enabled assistive technologies and living environments are in rapid development to support the anticipated demand for tools and services to augment care. These applications are intended to afford opportunities for older adults to live more independently and safely at home and in their communities, and to reduce their reliance on caregivers. In this presentation, I will discuss three applications—intelligent wheelchairs, personal assistive robots, and smart homes—and the implications of these technologies on the everyday lives of older adults and their caregivers. We will explore the role of AI agents and their potential impact on interpersonal relationships and the ethical concerns of integrating AI-enabled care technologies into health and social care ecosystems of older adults and their caregivers.

 

About Rosalie Wang

Rosalie Wang is an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto. She is an affiliated member of the University of Toronto Robotics Institute and a faculty fellow at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. She is an Affiliate Scientist at KITE – Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network and a member of their AI and Robotics in Rehabilitation Research Team. Rosalie’s research focuses on developing, evaluating, and implementing technology to enable daily activity participation and social inclusion of seniors and people with disabilities. She is leading research in robotics for post-stroke rehabilitation and on the use of information and communication technologies by seniors with cognitive impairments. As an AGE-WELL investigator she co-led a national project on enhancing equitable access to assistive technologies.

About the SRI Seminar Series

The SRI Seminar Series brings together the Schwartz Reisman community and beyond for a robust exchange of ideas that advance scholarship at the intersection of technology and society. Seminars are led by a leading or emerging scholar and feature extensive discussion.

Each week, a featured speaker will present for 45 minutes, followed by 45 minutes of discussion. Registered attendees will be emailed a Zoom link approximately one hour before the event begins. The event will be recorded and posted online.