Center for Cyber-Social Dynamics Educates Local Retirement Community on Online Threats and AI Awareness
With technology moving so fast—especially in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) —it can be difficult for older folks to keep up, making it all too easy for scammers to take advantage when they’re just trying to live their lives and stay safe. David Tamez, research program director at KU’s Center for Cyber-Social Dynamics (CCSD), recently presented a lecture at Lawrence’s Pioneer Ridge retirement community about potential online threats and the use of AI chatbots to address loneliness. The voluntary talk, which was part of the University Honors Program’s Common Cause series, included KU student participants, who engaged with residents about basic technology questions and personal experiences with online scams.
“Seeing how today's older adults navigate AI-driven platforms with both curiosity and caution highlights the importance of digital literacy as a form of empowerment and protection,” says Tamez. “The ways in which scammers now exploit AI and digital platforms are simply new versions of older deception techniques, adapted to the modern age, and observing this pattern firsthand reinforced how history often repeats itself under new disguises.”
The two service-learning programs (March 8 & April 12), in partnership with I2S and the Pioneer Ridge retirement community, were connected to a series of Common Cause experiences including a student-led symposium, a campus and community partner reception, and digital mapping workshops intended to highlight the various interconnections between technology and human rights.
“Common Cause, our program’s interdisciplinary symposium, focused on human rights and technology this year,” says Dr. Mauricio Gómez Montoya, student experience designer for the University Honors Program. “Honors students had the opportunity to connect with residents, provide assistance on how to use their devices and develop a greater understanding on how issues of technology and human rights can manifest for members of this community,” said Gómez Montoya. “The event highlighted various online threats and how people can protect themselves and those around them from such threats. It was a successful partnership.”
CCSD is one of six centers of research that comprise the Institute of Information Sciences (I2S), whose mission is to sustain and grow national leadership in the creation, dissemination, and commercialization of new technologies in computer systems, communication systems, and radar systems. For more about I2S, including current research projects, faculty information, and upcoming events, visit i2s-research.ku.edu.