Speculative approaches to technology-enabled futures of ageing often struggle against reductive and immaterial imaginaries that diverge from everyday realities. This is compounded by the mainstream embrace of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools that reinforce many of the stigmas and biases we have long sought to reduce in technology studies. In seeking innovative ways to critique AI-generated futures and realize novel ways of speculating on the desirable, everyday futures older adults seek, we detail emergent findings from a series of workshops employing a generative postcard approach with a local community group in Scotland. Drawing on a previous analysis of opportunities to support care in later life through an ecological carescape framework, workshops captured precarious visions, generational perspectives, and potential ways of reconfiguring care futures. We highlight how the techno-deterministic visions of generative AI are both a feature and tool for critique as we link ageing futures with everyday realities of the present.

Health and social care services are increasingly shaped by the emergence of new digital developments. Research suggests that older adults are less likely to use digital devices and, therefore, risk missing out on essential health and social care services as these become more digital by design. We carried out an exploratory literature review using the terms ‘onboarding’ and ‘offboarding’ within the design, engineering, health, and social science literature to understand how researchers are currently thinking about older adults’ digital service needs, informed by discussions of stakeholder engagement with older adults in Edinburgh to explore their own experiences of digital transitions. The review process was implemented based on the methodology of Arksey and O’Malley for scoping reviews, and the findings were reported according to the PRISMA-ScR checklist. The databases used were Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL Plus, IEEE Xplore, Engineering Village, PsycINFO, ASSIA and ACM. In total, 18 studies were finally included. Our findings show different interpretations of onboarding across disciplines and a lack of use of offboarding in the design of digital interventions. Additionally, our findings reveal inequalities in digital onboarding, as evidenced by the limited number of studies. Finally, we share a snapshot of our findings, together with reflections on interdisciplinary and collaborative processes.

The short film – The Care-Full Home – explores the datafication of everyday later lives vis-à-vis emerging technologies. The film was created over 48 hours during a hackathon focussing on ageing in a digital world. It uses satire as an overarching methodology to engage with the ambiguities of datafication and the uncertain boundaries between data and undata. In this accompanying piece, we outline the creation of The Care-Full Home and discuss the methodological potentials and limitations of satire as a means of critically engaging with questions of datafication and ambiguous social phenomena more broadly.

With a projected global population of 2.1 billion individuals aged 60 and older by 2050, there is an imperative to explore the implications of living longer and how to design solutions that support individuals’ well-being and promote independence. In this context, interdisciplinary collaborations, by bringing together different forms of expertise, can provide creative and effective solutions. However, the complexities of working in synergy with others are rarely discussed. Drawing from our experiences as early academic researchers, we delve into the nuances of interdisciplinary design research for an ageing population. Through autoethnographic dialogues between the authors and semi-structured interviews with professionals from various disciplines, we uncover and discuss frictions inherent in interdisciplinary collaborations. Our findings reveal tensions surrounding data interpretation, ontological and epistemological beliefs, evaluation of project outcomes, and ethical considerations. We propose an initial framework to navigate these frictions constructively, fostering dialogue and understanding among team members. By prioritising lived experiences and reflexivity, our work contributes practical insights for interdisciplinary collaboration in designing for longevity, offering a lens into the complexities and opportunities of navigating disciplinary boundaries.