"A Glimpse, Not a Gaze": Using Generative AI to Balance Privacy and Awareness in Inter-generational Caregiving

2026-06-03

AI Summary

This study addresses the tension between adult children’s need for awareness and older adults’ right to privacy in intergenerational caregiving, where conventional monitoring often undermines elders’ autonomy. To reconcile this conflict, the authors propose using generative AI to produce abstracted “visual summaries” of daily activities. Through a 10-day experience sampling method (ESM) with smartphone prompts, they collected dyadic data on willingness to share AI-generated images, complemented by semi-structured interviews to explore how caregivers and care recipients negotiate privacy boundaries. Findings reveal significant intergenerational discrepancies in privacy expectations and demonstrate that visual abstraction can effectively balance emotional connectedness with respect for older adults’ dignity. The work offers actionable design guidelines for developing privacy-preserving AI tools in eldercare contexts.

Abstract

As older adults increasingly prefer to age in place, their adult children often assume the role of informal caregivers. This dynamic creates a distinct tension between the adult child's need for awareness and the older adult's fundamental right to privacy. Traditional monitoring technologies, such as raw video feeds, often compromise the older adult's autonomy. To address this challenge, this study explores the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to create abstract, privacy-preserving ``visual summaries'' of daily activities. We design a 10-day Experience Sampling Method (ESM) study with dyads consisting of older adults and their adult children. Through daily smartphone prompts, participants report their current context and evaluate pre-generated AI sketches, indicating their willingness to share or receive these images. Follow-up interviews will further investigate participants' boundary-setting behaviours. This research aims to quantify the privacy mismatch between generations and provide actionable design guidelines for applying visual abstraction in AI-mediated caregiving tools, ultimately supporting inter-generational connection while protecting user dignity.

Problem

• privacy
• awareness
• inter-generational caregiving
• aging in place
• autonomy

Innovation

• Generative AI
• Privacy-Preserving Visualization
• Inter-generational Caregiving
• Visual Abstraction
• Experience Sampling Method