Research Professorship EQUIP-AI - Advancing Age-Inclusive and Equitable AI for Healthcare

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in healthcare, it promises innovation but also risks reinforcing inequities. While gender and racial bias in AI has gained attention, ageism remains critically underexplored. Older adults are particularly at risk, as they are underrepresented in training datasets. This leads to blind spots in large language models (LLMs) and clinical decision-support tools, resulting in algorithmic ageism where symptoms may be overlooked, risks misclassified, or treatments misaligned. Moreover, age-related stereotypes held by healthcare professionals can be perpetuated or amplified by AI trained on historical records.

To address these risks, this professorship investigates AI-driven ageism through participatory and age-inclusive approaches. Rooted in co-design, it involves older adults, healthcare professionals, and caregivers in developing and evaluating AI tools. This professorship hence aims:

a) to empirically investigate the extent to which and under what conditions AI-based ageism occurs in clinical decision-making, using methods such as counterfactual prompting with clinical case scenarios, and to analyze how LLMs may detect or mitigate such biases;

b) to co-create ethical, inclusive AI applications that reflect lived experiences and enhance usability, trust, and communication across different care settings.

By embedding co-design, counterfactual evaluation, and intersectional perspectives, this research advances responsible AI in healthcare, laying the foundation for scalable and ethical digital health solutions that promote equity, health, and well-being in ageing populations.