Helene H. FUNG, PhD | The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Helen MENG, PhD; Hongmei LIN ; Mphil Yiwen WU, MA
Competition Sponsor: Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
Award Year: 2024
Social connectedness is a significant factor in preventing cognitive decline and improving psychological well-being among older adults. However, older adults may suffer from social disengagement due to physical impairments and social loss. In an increasingly digital world, older adults also face challenges in building and maintaining social relationships due to low technological acceptance and a lack of appropriate tools.
Personal narratives, telling stories about one’s past, contribute to cognitive and mental health among older adults. They boost self-confidence, enhance meaning of life, and have therapeutic value for those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Further, sharing biographical stories with others allows one to quickly build and deepen social connections, reducing stigma and fostering mutual understanding.
This project aims to develop an age-friendly digital storytelling social platform supported by AI-enhanced speech and image recognition technologies. This innovative system enables older adults to capture and record their personal stories and experiences, transforming them into digital narratives that can be shared through an online platform across generations. A multilingual AI speech recognition system is embedded to ensure accurate and reliable transcription of the spoken words. The system also installs an AI image recognition system to automatically identify the location and other key information from the user-uploaded photo to accompany and enrich the storytelling.