To alleviate loneliness among older people using AI - legal and ethical aspects

Loneliness is a common challenge among older and very old people, and effective interventions remain limited. With an ageing population and a shortage of workforce, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) offers a novel approach to addressing this issue, although the technology is still under development.

The project forms part of the larger project “Towards the use of artificial intelligence to relieve loneliness: a comparative study of loneliness among older men and women in Sweden and Japan” within the framework of https://www.mirai.nu/, led by Associate Professor Johan Niklasson at Umeå University and Professor Yoshihisa Hirakawa at Nagoya University.

The sub-project aims to analyse legal and ethical aspects of alleviating loneliness among older people. It covers the AI Act, the Medical Devices Regulation, consumer protection, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).