Aging and Technology: How a Global Conference is Spotlighting Aging through Innovation

By: Sydney Byer, Senior Manager of Advocacy and External Affairs and Kristine Burrows, Board Chair

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), hosted by the Consumer Technology Association in Las Vegas, Nevada, brought together over 141,000 individuals from across the globe to unite tech visionaries in solving the world’s biggest challenges. Next50 was there supporting innovative startups and our CEO advocated for stronger collaborations between nonprofits and the technology community.

This year, over 4,500 exhibitors showcased a range of solutions and innovations spanning autonomous vehicles, smart homes technology, and of course the inclusion of artificial intelligence in robots. There was a technology solution for nearly everything. Next50 had the opportunity to explore how startups envision a world that values aging.

I had the chance to witness groundbreaking innovations aimed at enhancing the quality of life for older individuals and their caregivers. From monitoring and sensing technology to integrated smart home solutions, this year’s event highlighted advancements poised to redefine how older adults maintain their independence.

At CES, in Eureka Park, and at the Digital Health Expo, numerous new products addressed critical issues such as fall prevention, vital sign monitoring, and environmental sensing. Devices like wearable monitors and ambient sensors can detect falls or irregularities in vital signs, sending instant notifications to caregivers. This technology empowers older adults to live independently for longer periods, knowing that help is just a notification away. However, a recurring challenge is the lack of integration between these point solutions, which excel at individual tasks but do not communicate with other systems. Someone on the tour hosted by the CTA foundation asked, “How can I get my smart watch to talk to my smart ring, that talks to my smart doorbell?” What if a smart fridge could detect a lapse in meal preparation which would prompt a caregiver to check in? Or, TVs could be integrated with medication notifications and nudges?

We saw this at Samsung’s Smart Home Family Care Pavilion. Their innovative exhibit featured a robot vacuum equipped with monitoring capabilities. A caption read, “If your parent isn’t active for an extended period, you’ll receive a notification to check in and have the robot vacuum look around their home.”

This convergence of home automation and health monitoring holds significant promise for aging in place. These tech integrations could encourage adoption by leveraging products that older adults already use daily.

Next50 was proud to be the presenting sponsor of the CTA Foundation’s pitch competition which invited nine startups to present their technology that addresses ways to increase accessibility and adoption for older adults and those with a disability. These companies’ founders and representatives shared their personal stories as to why they created their products from being caregivers themselves or having a disability and lacking access to affordable technology that improved their overall well-being driving them to create products that are not only useful but impactful to meet the desire to age in place. The winner, MakeSense Technology, created outdoor navigation using haptic technology and AI to better support people who are blind or have low vision as they navigate the world.

Despite these exciting advancements, challenges remain. AARP recently released its 2025 Tech Trends and Adults 50+ report and noted how older adults are keeping pace with younger consumers in owning primary tech devices. The report further revealed that 67% of adults aged 50 and older purchased technology in the past 12 months, contributing to a staggering $90 billion in spending. Yet, there remains a disconnect between product design and the needs of this demographic. Despite the growing adoption of technology, only 59% of adults aged 50+ feel that technology is designed with their age in mind. This gap underscores the importance of creating products that are not only innovative but also inclusive, accessible, and offer a positive user experience.

Many startups face difficulties achieving widespread adoption due to cost, and complexity. With Next50 focused on promoting affordability for marginalized older adults, some technology seems a ways away from being adopted by most marginalized groups. That leads to the need for philanthropy and other sectors to engage in the creation and adoption of technology so that aging becomes less expensive for everyone, not just those who may be able to pay monthly subscriptions to applications. CES highlighted how technology has the opportunity to either widen the health equity gap with tech solutions for those who can afford them or shrink the health equity gap by applying a population health-based approach. Though we saw hundreds of point solutions, few technologies targeted systemic, community change. Next50 has an opportunity to help communities harness the power of these innovations to improve quality of life.  As Next50 also looks to transform the perception of aging, we recognize the work needed to help the tech industry value older adults. Many of the products and solutions developed for older adults’ health and safety were unattractive or undermined the sentience of the older adult user. Ethical considerations for video monitoring of loved ones in the name of safety, for instance, were top of mind as we explored the show.

Will CES 2026 feature more integrated and accessible solutions? The potential is enormous and the work has already begun in part thanks to leadership from AARP Age Tech Collaborative and CTA Foundation.

The future of aging in place lies in collaboration between industries and a commitment to creating technology that is not only innovative but also practical and inclusive. As the digital and health sectors continue to intersect, CES serves as a reminder of the transformative power of technology to address the needs of an aging population.

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