AI Governance in Gerontology: A Critical Issue

Strategic Insights -

Investigators at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have highlighted the lack of engagement from the field of gerontology in addressing the governance of artificial intelligence (AI). As AI applications increasingly impact older adults in various ways, including in health insurance, employment, and housing, researchers emphasize the need for policy levers to mitigate harm and ensure accountable development and implementation. The absence of comprehensive AI and data privacy policy in the United States is concerning, particularly given the growing importance of AI and algorithmic decision-making.

Key Takeaways:

  • The field of gerontology has not seriously engaged AI governance, despite its significant impact on older adults.
  • AI applications implicate issues of ethics, service access, and ageism, and policy levers could help address these concerns.
  • There is a paucity of federal AI regulations, and the call for comprehensive AI and data privacy policy in the United States has grown louder.
  • The development and deployment of AI may disproportionately affect older adults, who lack representation in discourses about AI policy making or governance.
  • Researchers emphasize the need for ethical governance of AI to ensure accountable development and implementation, and to promote the interests of older adults.
  • The principles outlined in the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights can guide the development of AI governance to address issues of ageism and promote older adult interests.
  • The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Bioethics Program has contributed to this research, highlighting the importance of considering the principles of gerontology in AI governance.

Statistics:

  • There is currently a lack of comprehensive AI and data privacy policy in the United States (NewsRx, 2025).
  • The absence of federal AI regulations has led to a call from public interest groups and researchers for policy reform (NewsRx, 2025).
  • The development and deployment of AI may have a significant impact on older adults,who are often not well-represented in discourses about AI policy making or governance (UCSF, 2025).
  • The principles outlined in the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights can guide the development of AI governance to address issues of ageism and promote older adult interests (UCSF, 2025).

Sources:

  • NewsRx. New Science Findings Reported from University of California San Francisco (UCSF) (Why AI Governance Should Be a Focal Issue for Gerontology). Health & Medicine Week. October 24, 2025; p 3632.
  • University of California San Francisco (UCSF). Why AI Governance Should Be a Focal Issue for Gerontology. The Gerontologist, 2025.