By 2030, in the United States, 1 in 4 people will be over the age of 65.
However, there are places in the U.S., like Puerto Rico, where, right now, 1 in 3 are elders.
That density of seniors exceeds Japan, exceeds China.

Why is this not common knowledge?
One reason may be that news of an older population is inconvenient to hear.
Another reason, perhaps, is that our U.S. culture is no longer homogeneous; it is fragmented. 
Nowadays we live and learn in micro-cultures crafted by our Social Media.
We read and hear from tribes that only reflect ourselves.
Witness the polarization in our recent elections.
Social media unifies beliefs but also accentuates system bias, like Ageism.

That crosses a line.

Through the internet we have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in.
Our tribal knowledge has made us cynical.
Our cleverness, hard and unkind.
We think too much, and feel too little.

Beyond tribal micro-cultures there is room for everyone.
Our country is wide and diverse and can provide for all.
Our way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned our souls,
has barricaded the country with hate,
has boxed us into violence and callous indifference.

//Pause
 
More than speed and machinery, we need humanity.
More that cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.
Without these qualities life will be violent, and all will be lost.

At my own company, Kin-Keepers we work to strengthen families -
to do away with micro-cultural barriers –
to encourage greater understanding and empathy.

Group AI.
To do that, we use Artificial Intelligence, AI, to optimize the voice of Groups.
Our platform provisions sophisticated machine learning models to create Group AI.
These in turn, help families cope with those less able to talk, or less able to be understood. 

Our solution has two sides: AI for the Family and AI PETs for the Seniors.  

The goal is to achieve understanding among the elder, the carer and the family.

Our AI models start from the family side.
They alone possess the knowledge and understanding of their elders.
Empowered through Family Circles – (registered Trees of Families, Carers and Friends),
data collection happens, and a Group AI model emerges.
Decisions of what to buy, who handles tasks, when to be present are resolved.

On the Elder’s side, adoption is sought through the voice of an AI PET

Moreover, family AI algorithms and the AI PETs include limitations ­–
constraints of time, of resources, of histories, of aspirations.
Humans can only handle a few dozen factors, but AI models can work with millions of variables.

AI is not a delegation of responsibility; it is not a robot.
It is only a way to merge and optimize all the opinions.  And opinions change.
Considering outcomes, a recalcitrant elder may opt to relinquish car keys.
A distant brother may consider lending more support. A devoted spouse may ask for help.

Families examine the AI results and ponder the suggestions of support.
They reflect on their willingness to engage.
From there, assignment of care work is either accepted or sent back to the AI models for redistribution. Our platform creates reminders.
But none of it works unless Elders are included. Seniors too must have a voice.
 
Here’s how it works:
At Kin-Keepers we make elder inclusion happen with an AI PET. It is not a toy, but mobile software that can appear in different forms. It can be in a room via a voice assistant, from the voice of a TV or a picture. The elder chooses where.

In time the companion “PET” becomes an Assisted Self, their alter ego. 

It is an “intent” translator that makes their utterances clear. “Bring me that thing” gets corrected to “bring me the newspaper.”

It gives them more control of their lives. It allows them to manage physical devices, or to enlist emotional aids. Their independence alleviates burdens. But never are they left unattended. A Carer is always around, ready to be alerted for anomalies.
 
Here’s why it works: People age, but even when memories fade, even when trained behaviors go away, even when cognitive decline sets in, emotional memories remain.
Elders may forget your name, your face, but never how you make them feel.

Kin-Keepers uses the emotional channel of communication to bridge the divide, to minimize the frustration, to bring about authentic and responsive understanding.  And it works, because
emotions are joined with other factors into AI models that give elders an augmented voice. A voice that restores their ability to love and be loved.

//Pause

AI is not a silver bullet. But common challenges of our day cry out for its adoption.
Using AI, we can free ourselves from micro-culture biases, like ageism, and guide us to care for elders in a way that creates less frustration and more happiness for all involved.

But why stop there? Our oceans, our climate, our biodiversity are also voiceless.
Why can’t the same Group AI models that empower families to find ways to care for seniors, also work for them?
This can be a natural role for Governments everywhere.

All citizens can supply data, which is joined to environmental sensors.
Fed into AI governing models, that consider constraints,
Group AI platforms optimize outcomes for the betterment of all. 

KKin-Keepers is fortunate to have hit upon Group AI for Elder Care,
but the time for Group AI in other crucial areas can no longer be avoided. It is here now.