Smart Living

Cutting-edge digital technology and AI can help build more robust infrastructure, enhance domestic and public security, and allow people to live more independent, and fulfilling lives. It also poses some challenges which require careful consideration from policymakers. Smart Living considers the role of digital and technological developments in ensuring that needs are met and responses to emergencies are more effective.

As the world population increases and ages, the pressure on public spending is increasing. Assistive technologies monitor, and support individuals that need assistance to cope with their daily lives. Examples may include: smart homes  - that observe daily behaviour of individuals, detecting adverse incidents such as falls, or medical emergencies or, wearable technologies - such as smart watches that are capable of measuring health markers over long periods of time, and advanced assistive robots that may help with daily activities. While different technologies have different levels of maturity as of now, their future capability towards smart living is very clear. On the other hand, assistive technology involves personal assistance to improve skills of individuals. These may constitute virtual reality driven training programmes, education tools and data-driven analysis of athletes.

AI & digital technologies can protect against security threats. However, technologies can also facilitate activities which are detrimental to safety, including physical threats such as terrorist attacks, physical attacks, sexual violence, and cyber crimes. Cyber crimes include attacks on infrastructure and companies, misinformation campaigns that ignite violent riots as on the streets of the UK through the summer of 2024, and online financial fraud. Technology plays a critical role in identifying threats, managing risks, mitigating threats and reacting to situations.

Smart technology can be used to improve the health of the nation and allow individuals to live a healthy and fulfilling life. This involves using technology to detect, manage and treat different health conditions. These technologies can help with the early diagnosis of various cancers, assisting radiologists to detect suspicious tumors in X-Rays, and assisting surgeons to operate effectively. Furthermore, rehabilitation of injured patients is another example where technology plays a role, through developments with assistive robots and exoskeletons. AI provides opportunities for early detection of diseases, especially at primary care level, thus reducing the pressure and waiting lists on specialist clinics in the NHS.

Foreword authored by Dr Varuna De-Silva, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ London & Parliamentary Thematic Research Lead for AI & Digital

Case studies

Research by Dr Lauren Burch, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ London

Online abuse is a widespread issue affecting people of all ages globally. The 2024 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) found that 58.1% of 10- to 15-year-olds in the UK spend at least three hours online daily, exposing them to risks such as unwanted messages from strangers, with 19.2% interacting with unknown individuals. Additionally, 34.9% of children reported in-person bullying, while 19.1% experienced online bullying.

This abuse impacts health and wellbeing, leading to anxiety and depression, and affects various vulnerable groups, including public figures and minority groups. Despite its prevalence, there is a lack of safeguarding measures and empirical evidence tracking online abuse.

Research in sports highlights how “trigger events” like athlete performance or socio-political activism can spark online abuse. Case studies of female sports journalists and elite athletes revealed gendered, discriminatory, and emotional abuse, often escalating to physical threats and sexual assault references. These findings underscore the need for improved online safeguarding initiatives.

Research by Dr Daniel Read, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ London

In the UK, the shift from face-to-face interactions to online platforms in public and private services, including the sport and physical activity sector, highlights the “digital divide”—the gap between those who can effectively use internet-connected devices and those who cannot. Around 13 million people in the UK lack access to these devices or the necessary digital literacy skills, potentially widening disparities in physical activity levels among different socio-economic groups.

This pilot study explored the relationship between digital literacy and physical activity through surveys, conversations, and observations in digital literacy classes. Findings indicated that most participants engaged in low to moderate physical activity, such as walking or cycling, but faced challenges in accessing information and booking activities online. Digital literacy and physical activity levels were linked to financial, cultural, and social inequalities. The study concluded that interventions focusing solely on digital literacy are insufficient to boost activity levels without addressing broader socio-economic barriers, emphasising the need for comprehensive, collaborative efforts from sport and public organisations.

Research by Dr Saul Albert, Senior Lecturer in Social Science (Social Psychology), in collaboration with Professor Thorsten Gruber (º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ), Professor Crispin Coombs (º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ), Lauren Hall (º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ), Dr Magnus Hamann (º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ), Donald Hislop (University of Aberdeen) and Mark Harrison (Social Action Solutions)

There is a crisis in social care for disabled people, and care providers are turning to AI for high-tech solutions. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ research project investigated how disabled people utilize and adapt consumer voice technologies, such as Amazon Alexa, to enhance their personal independence within the context of social care.

The study involved a diverse group of disabled individuals and their carers, who participated in shaping the project's design from the outset. Through in-depth interviews and observations, the researchers discovered that while these voice technologies offer potential benefits, they are not always as accessible as advertised. For instance, features like wake words can pose challenges for individuals with certain disabilities. Additionally, the notion of these technologies serving as "virtual companions" was found to be unrealistic. However, the study also highlighted the positive potential of these technologies when used in conjunction with human carers.

By combining low-tech, off-the-shelf components, disabled people can create personalized homecare systems that enable them to actively participate in their own care routines. These systems can enhance independence and foster a more collaborative relationship between individuals with disabilities and their carers.

Research by the DECODE project, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ

There are high expectations for the use of AI in healthcare. However, the focus of AI development has often been narrowly placed on the performance of algorithms, which has weakened efforts to integrate safe, cost-effective, and ethical AI solutions into existing healthcare workflows. There is a growing recognition that AI solutions must be developed with inputs from a broad range of stakeholders, considering the clinical context in which they will be used.

The DECODE research project aimed to develop AI solutions for people with learning disabilities and multiple long-term conditions. By using AI analytics, the project identified clusters of health conditions that frequently occur together and tracked how these conditions evolve over time. This knowledge enables more personalized care, allowing healthcare providers to predict, delay, and prevent future health issues. The project also mapped the barriers and enablers of the current coordination of health and social care for people with learning disabilities. This information will be used to incorporate the new knowledge on disease clusters and trajectories into personalized care plans.

Key themes

The exploration and inquiry of Smart Living resulted in the identification of 3 key themes across research domains. These themes can be defined as:

Access and inclusion

Increasingly, accessing resources needed for our daily lives require access to electronic devices and the internet. Disenfranchised members of society are more likely to have restricted access to electronic devices and internet. While the most vulnerable members in society are more likely to suffer from digital illiteracy. Ensuring that all have the skills and access to the internet and online resources is crucial for wellbeing and inclusion.

Safety and safeguarding

The internet remains to be a largely unregulated and unmonitored space. Children and young people are particularly vulnerable online but anyone can suffer from online abuse and fraud. Everyone should feel and be safe online and their identity and personal information should remain private and safe. Both private organisations and the national government must do more to ensure the internet is safe space. That requires more robust safeguarding policies for private organisations and strong government regulation.

Responsibility

Technology has greatly increased our capacitates to communicate, consume media, work, create and so much more. However, technology must remain safe for all, and its use should not cause harm. Therefore, it is important to ensure that new technologies are developed responsibility, and that technology is used responsibility. Technology has enormous potential to increase wellbeing but only if it is developed and used responsibly.