I spent four days at one of the country's largest aging conferences.
Noah Sheidlower
Attendees at On Aging 2026 debated AI's role in the lives of older adults.
I saw VR technology, AI prompting demonstrations, and assistive tech showcases.
With age tech expected to be worth well into the billions of dollars, more eyes are on AI and aging.
Can a VR headset serve as a companion to someone in a nursing home? Can an AI-powered robot care for a disabled 80-year-old? And, if so, who pays?
These are some of the questions we're going to have to answer as a society — and some of them, pretty soon, attendees at the On Aging 2026 conference in Atlanta said this week. I was there, and at 25, I was one of the youngest in the audience.
Opinions, of course, varied. Some spoke positively about the new frontier of technology that could help care for older people. Others weren't sure that a robot companion or smart home sensors would do anything other than isolate older people from their families and neighbors. In nearly every panel I attended, tech sparked debate. How should age tech be integrated in rural communities? What should AI governance look like? Can caregivers benefit from tech?
Not every session was dominated by AI. Social connection, belonging, equity, and justice came up again and again. Attendees brainstormed how to foster intergenerational connections. Many wanted to combat ageism, achieve better mental health outcomes, and work toward more equitable health solutions. Here are some of my main takeaways.
Older adults want to use AI and technologyMany panelists spoke about tech access and age tech.
Noah Sheidlower
In every time block, there was at least one session that directly addressed age tech, AI, wearables, and innovation. A recurring theme among the panels was that older people want to use AI, but many don't know what options are available. AARP has found that tech use has surged among older people in the US in recent years, with 90% owning a smartphone and 30% using AI. While many are still hesitant about using new tech, plenty are interested but don't yet know how to apply the tech to their lives.
Many panels, such as "Bridging the Gap: Addressing Ageism in Age Tech," highlighted gaps in AI training data that are often skewed by stereotypes, surveillance concerns, and designs driven by what developers sometimes incorrectly think older people want.
Panelists across the conference argued that age-inclusive design should integrate autonomy, flexibility, and an accurate assessment of older people's needs. For instance, some robotics technology, like ElliQ, was developed with insights from older people, such as serving as a companion that encourages human interaction.
AI is helping older people in often invisible waysThe On Aging conference stressed tech solutions for older adults.
Noah Sheidlower
In addition to working on tech adoption, the conference also focused on creative AI solutions for older people.
In sessions like "Beyond the Panic Button," researchers highlighted the prevalence of AI-powered predictive analytics in reshaping care. Some startups have begun using predictive tech to flag risks before an emergency occurs. As Chia-Lin Simmons, CEO of medical alert devices companyLogicMark, said, most tech is built around "waiting for something to go wrong, then responding."
For instance, one of the sessions highlighted how age-tech innovators are using AI for early detection of Alzheimer's, which is expected to affect 13 million people by 2050 — most of whom are diagnosed too late to take action. Misfolded proteins, a signature of the disease, can show up 20 years before symptoms emerge, and certain speech features can predict Alzheimer's up to 15 years before diagnosis. Companies are developing AI to detect early warning signs, helping older people get ahead of a diagnosis.
A few sessions focused on assistive technology like wearables, AI solutions such as fraud detection, automated medicine boxes for older adults, and tech solutions for rural people in the US without broadband access.
We are in a caregiving crisisMany of the panels touched on caregiving.
Noah Sheidlower
Many panels, including the opening session, highlighted how the US is in a caregiving crisis — and has been for some time. AARP found that 63 million people in the US serve as family caregivers, nearly 48 million of whom are unpaid. In a recent national caregiving survey, 61% of respondents said their work lives were affected by caregiving responsibilities. Two-thirds of caregivers regularly help with health management, errands, and personal care. Just one in five have training for more complex caregiving tasks like changing a breathing tube.
Many panelists stressed that the caregiving crisis needs more attention. Many jobs don't offer employees with caregiving duties benefits and workplace flexibility, while younger caregivers — including teenagers — are often invisible. Some panelists advocated for paid caregiving, while others have established peer communities for family caregivers.
The government can do more to help older adultsMany panels touched on solutions at the federal or state level.
Noah Sheidlower
Many agreed that 2026 has been more promising than last year, when deep cuts to Medicaid funding were central to the national fiscal debate. Still, this year alone, some states had funding for programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families temporarily held, while other states had some Medicaid funding frozen. Panelists also discussed how the elimination of some smaller programs continues to impact older people.
Panelists and attendees have called for strengthening Social Security, expanding Medicare coverage, adding tax credits for caregivers, and advancing intergenerational programs and elder rights protections.
Aging isn't just about older peopleAs a 25-year-old reporter, I felt comfortable speaking up about my perspectives.
Noah Sheidlower
While attending panels, I felt comfortable sharing my perspectives on the future of aging because, as most attendees I spoke with agreed, aging doesn't start at 65. Some panelists stressed that aging begins at birth and that people need to start thinking about it earlier in their lives. I noticed that in many panels, the crowd had a diverse age range, and many college students presented their research on aging and social belonging.
As I've written about in my 80 Over 80 series, I have learned a great deal about how I will approach getting older from speaking with hundreds of people in the US in their 80s and beyond. But many younger people feel that because retirement and "old age" are many years away, they don't need to think about those things now. However, panelists said it is never too early to save for long-term care and retirement, and to factor in caregiving in future planning.