Members of AI-CARING showcase their work at Charlie and Harriet Shaffer CEP Research Symposium

Members of AI-CARING showcased their ongoing work at the Charlie and Harriet Shaffer Cognitive Empowerment Program (CEP) Research Symposium, which is a collaborative effort between Emory University’s Brain Health Center and Georgia Tech.

The symposium held February 17th, 2023, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, clinical staff, program members, care partners, and community members to discuss research aimed at empowering individuals living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Agata Rozga, Director of Translational Research for AI-CARING, moderated a session titled “What can Artificial Intelligence Do for You,” which featured presentations by Georgia Tech researchers Tamara (Toma) Zubatiy, Zhi Tan, Nina Moorman and Erin Hedlund-Botti.

During the session, Zubatiy presented her findings on “The Google Home Project,” which detailed the results of the team’s ongoing work deploying Google Home in the homes of individuals with MCI and their care partners. The goal of this project is to better understand how these conversational assistants can be used to support daily activities and identify any necessary training to help users leverage this technology to its fullest potential.

While Nina and Erin presented their research on the “Impacts of Robot Learning on User Attitude and Behavior,” which examined how older adults who are care partners of individuals with MCI perceive in-home robots with respect to the robots’ ability to learn to perform specific assistive tasks, such as helping with medication management.

While Zhi presented work on the “Meal Preparation Assistant,” which explores how ambient displays and other technologies can be used to improve kitchen safety and meal prep activities for individuals living with MCI.

The session was highly engaging and interactive for the audience which included those diagnosed with MCI and their care partners, actively participating in a lively discussion and posing stimulating questions.