Govt invests in leveraging AI for healthy ageing

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth 

New Zealand is investing millions into a research programme focused on leveraging AI for healthy ageing, including development of an AI-powered mobile platform that helps older adults monitor and strengthen their cognitive health.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is co-funding, with Singapore’s National Research Foundation, three projects which apply AI to improve health outcomes for older adults, particularly in cognitive health and personalised care.

A $4 million Catalyst Grant has been awarded to a three-year research and development program to deliver a mobile-first, AI-augmented platform to help detect early signs of cognitive decline, and generate actionable insights for care partners and clinicians.

The project runs from August 2025 to July 2028 and the platform will be trialled in both New Zealand and Singapore.

The project brings together Elli Cares, an award-winning AgeTech company, with Dementia NZ, Victoria, Auckland and Otago Universities, and Singapore’s A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing, National Neuroscience Institute, as well as Lions Befrienders.

Angela Edwards, founder of Dunedin-based start-up Elli Cares, says the funding is an exciting step to bring world-class AI research directly into the lives of older adults and their families.

The platform being developed will include; speech and game-based tasks to assess memory, decision-making, and verbal fluency; adaptive AI algorithms that tailor activities to each user’s performance; real-time alerts and summaries for families and clinicians when changes arise; and integration with care models for use at home, in the community, or in aged care.

The platform’s core AI models are being developed under the leadership of Binh Nguyen at Victoria University, an expert in machine learning for health, and the tool will be embedded within Elli Cares existing senior support platform.

"We are aiming for a standalone app that can plug into other systems, with Elli Cares being our first port of call," Edwards tells eHealthNews.

The project also includes an integrated ethics programme led by Tania Moerenhout at Otago University, ensuring that user values, autonomy, and privacy are prioritised from the earliest design stages.

“Older adults may prioritise autonomy and meaningful living, while families focus on safety. AI tools must reflect those nuances,” says Moerenhout. 

Announcing the investment, science, innovation and technology minister Shane Reti said, “our AI Strategy is about encouraging the uptake of AI to improve productivity and realise its potential to deliver faster, smarter, and more personalised services, including in healthcare.

“These projects will help develop tools that support clinicians and improve care for our ageing population. Our collaboration with Singapore, a country well advanced in their use and development of AI, will help grow Kiwi capability to explore future practical uses of AI,” said Reti.

Also funded is an AI-Assisted interRAI Assessment, where the University of Otago will enhance aged care assessments by integrating AI to improve efficiency and personalisation.

The University of Auckland has also been awarded funding to build an AI tool to help clinicians identify individuals at high risk of progressing to dementia.

Image: Angela Edwards, Founder of Elli Cares

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