Good morning future-focused leaders,

This week I’m sharing a graph from a recent Harvard paper that connects with two areas I’m actively involved in, AI and Cultural Intelligence.

It shows that the further someone’s cultural distance from the US, the less GPT responses align with their values. This happens because LLMs are mostly trained on US-centric data, so their outputs reflect American cultural norms. The authors argue that calling these responses “human-like” is misleading, as it hides global differences in values, morality, thinking, and identity.

In my view, cultural intelligence must be part of AI development. Without it, we risk erasing diversity over time. It’s also why countries need to build and train their own AI tools, to ensure technology reflects their cultures rather than defaulting to someone else’s.

Read the full paper here.

What we cover this week:

• Buy, Build, or Wait? Strategies for AI adoption in aged care

• Consumer expectations are reshaping aged care delivery

• Why robots aren’t the real AI opportunity (yet)

• Free project coaching for aged care innovation

• A tool that turns text into polished presentations

^{LATEST DEVELOPMENTS}

🛒 AI in aged care: Buy, Build, or Wait?

Between questions about smart glasses and care robots, my inbox is full of questions about updating AI policies and whether staff should be using AI tools for documentation. We're bouncing between futuristic possibilities and immediate concerns, missing the middle ground where real decisions happen.

We're caught in an AI maturity gap. Generic tools that don't understand aged care versus custom development most of us can't afford. I see three strategic approaches: Buy existing solutions (where most should start), Build custom tools (high-stakes, rarely worth it), or Wait strategically while preparing your systems.

The winners aren't the fastest movers or biggest spenders—they're making decisions based on actual needs and commitment to improving care outcomes.

Read my full breakdown of when each approach makes sense and how to avoid common pitfalls.

🥛 The Curation Generation: how consumer expectations are reshaping our sector

The aged care industry is undergoing a significant shift, driven by rising consumer expectations and rapid technological advances over the past 15 years. Today’s consumers—baby boomers now entering their mid-60s and beyond—have, like younger generations, grown used to lives shaped by choice and curation. From being particular about the milk alternative in their coffee (and quite right too), to supermarkets stocking local produce, to personalised Netflix recommendations, they expect tailored experiences.

The key question is where and how they will want to receive aged care in the future. On one hand, homes are becoming service-enabled, with technology providers (from Aussie startups all the way to Google) offering monitoring, telehealth, family connectivity, and lifestyle supports that strengthen the option of ageing in place. At the same time, residential communities are rethinking how to appeal to a generation that expects personalisation. Just last week, Opal Healthcare and Swift Networks announced that the enterprise-grade Swift TV system will be available across 142 Opal residential care communities, potentially giving more than 13,000 residents access to personalised engagement and entertainment.

In a recent article, Joseph Coughlin, director of the MIT AgeLab, highlights five shifts in consumer expectations:

• Age alone no longer drives moves—lifestyle appeal matters.

• Consumers are accustomed to curated experiences from known brands, and expect the same later in life.

• Technology is no longer optional but essential infrastructure.

• Adult children, especially millennial daughters, play a central role in decision-making and bring their own brand expectations.

• The market will be more culturally and ethnically diverse than ever before.

The future belongs to providers who understand curation. Whether care is delivered at home or in residential settings, success will depend on creating aspirational experiences that integrate health, wellness, technology, and lifestyle into a coherent offering, anchored in the principle of choice and control.

🤖 The robot distraction: missing the real AI opportunities

The promise of companionship robots is enticing: robots that adapt to personality, language, and ability, offering companionship and joy to residents.

There is no doubt this captures attention, and the cuter the robot looks, the more airtime it gets. But starting the AI in aged care conversation with companion robots risks missing the bigger picture. The assumption that older people will embrace robotic friends is often made without asking them directly. Case in point, in this study published on Behavioral Sciences, researchers found that AI companion robots could provide “an innovative solution to enhance the wellbeing of elderly individuals”, but they also note that "despite the potential benefits, many seniors feel redundant or even averse towards adopting such technologies”. Almost on cue, National Seniors Australia recently ran an article asking, “Are robots the future of aged care?” 

In my opinion, the real opportunity for providers lies in a completely different place: the everyday operational challenges that consume time and resources. Documentation, compliance, reports, rostering, communications. When these tasks are supported, providers can redirect precious staff time back to residents, where human connection matters most.

These types of robots may eventually have a place (and I can see how it could help people living with dementia), but they should not be the entry point for adoption. If AI is to be sustainable and trusted, it needs to begin with solving the problems staff face now and with listening to older people about what they value.

^COMMUNITY

🧩 NEXT WEEK | Free Webinar: AI in Care Settings

Artificial intelligence is entering care environments in new ways—supporting wellbeing, reducing isolation, and streamlining workflows. But with these opportunities come ethical and practical questions. This webinar on Tuesday 30 September will introduce core concepts, risks, and opportunities, with a focus on practical applications. Topics include: responsible, people-centred implementation strategies; evaluating pilots and outcomes; and addressing common misconceptions about AI in care.S

📍 Online | Hosted by Anglicare NSW
📅 Read more and register 

💡 Free project coaching for innovation in aged care 

ARIIA supports organisations with impactful projects by providing expert coaching of up to 18 hours of free project development coaching through its Project Support Program. Funded by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the program facilitates ideation, project plan development, implementation of commercialisation and scaling of solutions focused on the aged care sector and workforce. Aged care providers, technology/industry providers, researchers and/or consortiums of these groups are eligible to apply.

^{WORKING WITH AI}

🧩 Gamma - AI that builds your presentation for you

One of the AI tools I use the most just had a major upgrade. I’ve been working with Gamma for most of my presentations. It can turn a text outline into a polished deck with structure, images, and consistent formatting. The interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy to edit slides or rearrange content.

The new version adds:

• Gamma Agent: an AI that can search the web, add citations, restructure slides, redesign layouts, and give feedback.

• Visual tools: expanded layouts, diagrams, and themes. Smart Diagrams convert text into visuals automatically.

• Team features: brand-aligned themes, central billing, and real-time collaboration.

There’s a free version, and you get 200 bonus credits if you register via this link.

I’m not here to hype trends. I’m here to explore the changes shaping ageing—technology included—and to share ideas you can apply in practice. Whether you’re exploring new tools, rethinking services, or looking ahead to what’s coming, I hope you found something here worth your time.

Feel free to forward this to your network or share it with your team.

See you next Tuesday,
George