AI in the Aging Field: 2026 ASA Community Survey

AI in the Aging Field

2026 ASA Community Survey  ·  Prepared for the ASA AI Subcommittee

Total respondents
0
Completed AI section
0
55% of total
Willingness to engage with AI questions

Two-thirds of the community (68%) are either actively engaging with or interested in AI. The "interested but skipped" group represents an accessible near-term audience.

Answered: 54.6%, Interested/skipped: 13%, Didn't reach: 24%, Not interested: 8.4%.
Answered AI Questions (54.6%) Interested / skipped (13%) Didn't reach (24%) Not interested (8.4%)
n=855 total respondents
Most valued training topics

Ethics, education, and practical productivity dominate. The community wants to know how to use AI responsibly and how to help older adults navigate it, not just adopt it faster.

Topics ranked: Ethics/Safety 39.6%, Educating Older Adults 39.2%, Productivity 34.7%, AI Tools 34.7%, Fraud Prevention 33%, Care Coordination 30.8%, Ageism/Bias 25.7%, Grant Writing 25.3%, Strategic Planning 24.6%, AI Policy 22.3%, Data Sovereignty 14.3%.
n=467 AI section respondents  ·  select up to 3  ·  hover a bar for details
Needs & interests

Older adults are asking about AI through the lens of safety, health, and independence, not productivity or novelty. The field should meet them there.

Safety/Security 55.9%, Health Monitoring 47.3%, Memory Support 42.4%, Loneliness 33%, Accessibility 31.9%.
n=467  ·  "What are older adults asking about?"  ·  hover for details
Worries & concerns

Fraud is the overwhelming concern (81%). Nearly all respondents selected at least one concern; only 6 said "none." Older adults are deeply worried about AI risks.

Scams/Fraud 80.7%, Privacy 61.5%, Human Touch 59.3%, Confusion 55.2%, Cost 37.7%.
n=467  ·  "What are older adults worried about?"  ·  hover for details
Personal AI usage level (individually and at work)

The largest group is experimental, trying AI but without built habits yet. Combined with routine users, about two-thirds are actively using AI in some form. Only 17% are non-users.

Experimental: 45%, Routine: 28%, Non-user: 17%, Advanced: 6%, Transformative: 4%.
Experimental (45%) Routine (28%) Non-user (17%) Advanced (6%) Transformative (4%)
n=433 of 467 AI section respondents  ·  hover for details
Current organizational AI usage level

"Shadow AI" is the dominant organizational pattern. People are using tools without institutional guidance. This is exactly the gap that ethics, compliance, and strategic planning training can fill.

Shadow/Ad-Hoc 43.5%, Managed 20.5%, No Adoption 15.3%, Integrated 14%, Strategic 6.7%.
Shadow / Ad-Hoc (43.5%) Managed (20.5%) No Adoption (15.3%) Integrated (14.0%) Strategic (6.7%)
n=386 of 467 AI section respondents  ·  % of those who responded  ·  hover for details
Source: 2026 ASA Community Survey (n=855; AI section n=467)  ·  Prepared for the ASA AI Subcommittee  ·  beneAI, LLC