2026 Tech Agenda: a New Story for Old Age
- Customized Aging
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
I went to CES 2026 to explore technologies for improving the lives of older adults. What I discovered was a whole new level of reality for longevity.
Las Vegas & the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was appropriately mind-blowing. AI was on overdrive, running its electric tentacles through our everyday objects, clothing, shoes, lights, lawnmowers, toilets, healthcare, homes, hearts and minds.
But for me, the word of conference wasn’t AI, it’s what’s being made more and more possible because of AI. I heard it over and over again, in sessions, in the hallways, and in face to face conversations. The word is “Bespoke.” Artificial Intelligence is a revolution in the personalization and customization of our lives, and when it comes to what it can do for an aging population, the Tech industry is excited about it, too:
“What is disability but a more advanced way to personalize?” - Remarkable’s Molly Lazarus, at the Standing Room Only session, “Accelerating Accessibility.”
AI can be woven into what we’re wearing, seeing through, walking on and communicating with. Rest assured, no one at CES I heard or spoke to believes in or is striving for AI to take the place of people. In the Digital Health space, it was all about helping the healthcare professionals and caregivers do more of the care that matters most and promote the dignity, safety and joy of older adults. But make no mistake, AI is, and will become, more and more a part of our care team, perhaps even our “Thought Partner,” as Wellthy Co-Founder and CEO Lindsay Jurist-Rosner put it. Yes, there are privacy concerns, and sometimes they roar in my head like the MGM Lion.
One of the brands dares to call itself “Life OS” & another wants to be "Your AI Assistant for Life.”
Then there are certain aspects of the smart toilet. While I appreciate that it can analyze waste and report on potential concerns, nutritional deficiencies and disease, I’m not entirely comfortable with the feature that allows the AI to respond to your data by placing an order at the grocery store for items the toilet has deemed missing from your diet and having them delivered to your home.
My “data” doesn’t seem so private when I feel like my bathroom door is open. CES was humongous of course, so I carved out my agenda around the AARP AgeTech Collaborative and surrounding exhibits.I was thrilled to be in the midst of panelists, peers and professionals who are advancing health, joy and independence for the longevity population.
AGETECH ⭐️ EXAMPLES!
Exciting and delighting AgeTech to share and explore further:
>Specs: Eyeglasses: Perfect your basketball (or pickleball) shot in Real Time. AI & visual imaging overlays provide real time navigation, movement monitoring coaching, biometrics, inter-device connectivity for gaming, communications & more. > SuitX – Exoskeleton “wearable robot” weighs 12.5 pounds. Eases back pain, gives power boost. >Iambic Shoes: (AI precision – “Shoes as a Service”) >Nuna Pendant: emotion tracker >Rings: assorted for different purposes & include: Aurafit, Luna Ring, and the ring that comes included with the Kamivision remote monitoring system. See MORE RINGS in this previous post. > Wellthy: Caregiving concierge & coordination > iGuard Home: Fire prevention/Automatic stove shut off > Autonomous Vehicles: the AutoBrain is a prototype for a “sensorless” vehicle controlled by software & cameras mounted on city poles > Hospital at Home (post-acute care at home/ “Home as a Service”) > Association of Smarter Homes and Buildings (ASHB)
> Games for All Ages from Ageless Innovation, Gamr & more
What else should we include?
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