Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force across many sectors, from healthcare and finance to social services and entertainment. This technology offers immense potential to address pressing societal challenges, improve quality of life, and foster economic growth. However, as AI systems increasingly shape decision-making processes, there is growing concern that these technologies may reinforce, exacerbate, or even create new forms of bias and discrimination. One significant issue in an ageing Europe is ageism - stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination based on age. As AI systems heavily rely on data patterns, the underrepresentation of older populations in data collection can result in algorithms being trained on unrepresentative data.

Maria Petkova from Tulip Foundation took part in a Multi-Stakeholder Meeting with a selected group of 30 key stakeholders on 15 May in Brussels. The aim was for the participants to identify actionable strategies to eliminate ageism within this transformative technology, ensuring it serves and represents people of all ages equitably. The meeting was organized by the WZB Berlin Social Science Center with the support of Volkswagen Foundation. We discussed ways in which older populations (and other age groups) may be negatively impacted by AI technologies, such as in healthcare, employment, social care, and consumer services; existing gaps in current AI governance frameworks that may lead to or overlook ageism; showcase examples of AI systems or projects that actively promote age inclusivity and minimize the risk of ageism. The participants include policymakers and regulators: tech companies and AI developers: academia and research institutions, civil society organisations.