<scp>AI</scp> and Technology in Geriatrics: A New Chapter in <scp>JAGS</scp>

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies are already transforming a number of fields in science, engineering, education, and more, and thus are poised to change the landscape of geriatric care as well. Recognizing the urgency and potential of this evolution, the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) is launching a new section: JAGS-AI & TECH. This section aims to serve as a multidisciplinary platform for research, innovation, and dialogue at the intersection of geriatrics, engineering, data science, business development, and ethics. By offering an aging hub where investigators from previously disparate fields can learn from each other and encourage collaboration across disciplines, JAGS-AI & TECH seeks to advance responsible, equitable, and patient-centered applications of technology that enhance health, independence, and quality of life for older adults. Through this initiative, we invite the broadest community to contribute to building a future where AI empowers aging with dignity and compassion. In the spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration, this editorial is co-authored by a clinician–scientist and an engineering dean. Although Dean Schlesinger does not have an editorial role at JAGS, his support reflects a shared conviction: that the next chapter in geriatric research and care, marked by the emergence of AI and associated technologies, must be co-written by clinician-scientists and engineers working together as peers. The creation of JAGS-AI & TECH represents more than a new journal section; it symbolizes a deliberate effort to break silos, create new partnerships and collaborators, and to work together to break boundaries in a rapidly evolving field. The demographic shift toward an aging population presents some of the most complex challenges in modern healthcare. Traditional models of care are increasingly insufficient given the scale of the challenge to adequately meet the needs of the increasing population of older adults facing multimorbidity, cognitive decline, social isolation, and functional impairment (Figure 1). AI and associated technologies offer powerful tools to address these challenges, enabling earlier intervention, personalized care, support for caregivers, and innovations that foster autonomy and safety [1]. Yet, without careful development, implementation, and oversight, these technologies risk introducing new biases, widening disparities, and undermining trust. Indeed, the complexity of the systems we need to develop and deploy will require extreme care [2]. The launch of JAGS-AI & TECH matters because it creates a dedicated, multidisciplinary forum where innovations advanced thoughtfully and responsibly can be presented, discussed, and disseminated across the full spectrum of the aging care workforce, including geriatricians, gerontologists, nurses, social workers, and allied professionals. It brings together diverse expertise to ensure that AI applications in geriatrics are designed appropriately: effective, equitable, inclusive, ethically sound, and tailored to the lived experiences of older adults [3]. Through JAGS-AI & TECH, we aim to drive progress that not only embraces the possibilities of technology but also safeguards the core values of geriatric care: dignity, compassion, and equity. The vision for JAGS-AI & TECH is to establish itself as the leading platform for the dissemination and discussion of research, innovation, and leadership at the intersection of technology and aging. The launch of JAGS-AI & TECH is a one step in this journey. It invites new ideas, fosters responsible innovation, and challenges us all to collaboratively build a future where technology truly empowers older adults to live with greater health, purpose, and autonomy. Recent commentary has questioned the future relevance of geriatrics as a specialty. We disagree. Geriatrics remains essential, especially as the population ages and the complexity of care increases. The thoughtful integration of AI and technology into the core structures of geriatric care, including foundational approaches like the 4Ms (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility), offers practical opportunities to improve care delivery, guide implementation, and inform standards. By engaging collaborators from engineering, data science, and other fields, we can strengthen, not replace, our existing models and ensure that geriatrics continues to adapt and contribute meaningfully to the future of healthcare. As we chart the future of geriatric care with AI and technology, one recurring question arises: Will AI replace geriatricians and clinician-scientists? The answer is clear; it will not. The work of clinicians is deeply rooted in human connection, clinical judgment, compassion, and decades of accumulated wisdom, qualities that no machine can replicate [6, 7]. Instead, AI will serve as a powerful tool to extend, expand, and enhance clinical care, helping to address shortages in the workforce at a time of increasing need and to deliver more timely, personalized, and precise interventions for older adults. For this future to be realized, the collaboration between clinicians and engineers must be grounded in a unique philosophy: what Dean Schlesinger describes as an “unpolluted and unrestrained hunt for problems and solutions.” “Unpolluted” meaning that engineers must be immersed in the clinical environment without being directed or constrained, free to observe, discover, and define problems based on authentic, lived clinical realities. “Unrestrained” meaning that creativity and innovation must not be bounded by traditional limitations, but encouraged to explore novel approaches that rethink how care can be delivered and experienced. Ultimately, the dream is to reimagine long-term care such that older adults can thrive in their own homes and communities for as long as possible, reduce unnecessary institutionalization, and enhance all care settings through person-centered design and technology-enabled support. The launch of JAGS-AI & TECH represents more than a new journal section; it is a call to action for clinicians, engineers, researchers, and innovators to come together, to challenge conventions, and to build a future where technology enhances humanity, not replaces it. Together, we can work to create a future where aging is not merely accommodated but celebrated. P.M.A. conceptualized and led the writing of the editorial. T.E.S. contributed to the intellectual framing and co-authored key sections reflecting the interdisciplinary collaboration between engineering and geriatrics. Both authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript. The authors have nothing to report. No external sponsor played a role in the design, preparation, or submission of this editorial. Dr. Peter M. Abadir serves as Deputy Editor of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and is involved in the editorial oversight of the JAGS-AI & TECH section. Dr. T.E. Schlesinger has no editorial role in JAGS and declares no conflicts of interest. Both authors affirm that the content of this editorial reflects their independent perspectives and not those of any affiliated institutions. This publication is linked to a related Commentary by Ouslander et al. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.70008.

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