UH-Hilo alumna, mentors use AI to tackle issues facing Japan’s aging population

Earlier this year, a University of Hawai‘i at Hilo alumna and two of its faculty members had the opportunity to be part of an online program that used artificial intelligence to create a product that would assist with issues facing a rapidly aging population in Japan.

The innovative program also included students from three Japan universities and the University of Northern Colorado. Its focus was on the topic, “AI and the Future of an Aging Society.”

Alise Jackson, who received her bachelor of arts degree in kinesiology and exercise science from UH-Hilo in December 2023. She and the two faculty members took part in the program along with students from the University of Northern Colorado and three universities in Japan.

The focus of the 4-week program from Feb. 26 to March 23 was on “AI and the Future of an Aging Society.”

Students were placed in groups with their counterparts from the other universities and tasked with creating a product using artificial intelligence to address issues that Japan’s rapidly aging population faces.

The proposed products included an AI companion in the form of an orangutang, who could assist the elderly with health and exercise monitoring and be a companion to ease mental health issues faced by those living alone. Another proposed product was a cooking assistant that could monitor diet and provide recipes and cooking guidance.

Several groups also proposed applications to facilitate communication with medical and counseling professionals.

Organized through Kansai University’s Japan hub for Innovative Global Education and the online education company Ludas Labs, students and faculty from Kansai University’s partner universities were invited to participate. That included Chiba University and Osaka Metropolitan University, also in Japan.

Ozan Atalag, chairperson of the UH-Hilo Kinesiology and Exercise Science Department, and Todd Shumway, director of Global Exchange at the Hilo university, participated in the program as mentors.

“The opportunity for genuine and focused cross-cultural communication made this program unique,” said Shumway. “Due to the requirement for the students to collaborate on a virtual product and then present it publicly, the students had to be creative and persistent in their attempts to bridge language and cultural barriers with their partners.”

He added that the enthusiasm of the groups was obvious. They were not only learning valuable skills for product development, but also sharing the creative task of creating an interesting and useful product.

Jackson participated in the program because of her interest in the intersection of AI and physical therapy.

“Through this experience, I learned to be more open-minded when it comes to resources and less fearful of AI,” said Jackson. “Being able to represent Hawai`i was rewarding alone, but also learning to use a new resource that I was hesitant to try before was also an eye-opening and rewarding experience. I would recommend anyone join if they have the opportunity to do so.”