Challenging futures: Using chatbots to reflect on aging and dementia

Intertemporal reflection, flexibly thinking forward and backward in time, is vital for one’s future planning. Yet, cultivating intertemporal reflection about encountering difficult futures, e.g., developing a progressive cognitive condition like dementia, can be challenging. We assessed people’s attitudes towards dementia following conversing with a chatbot presented as either neurotypical or simulating dementia symptoms. While neither the chatbot’s presentation nor the framing of participants’ future selves impacted attitudes toward dementia, it influenced participants’ experiences. When framed as future selves, the chatbot evoked a strong emotional connection, leading to reflection on aging, particularly with the chatbot simulating dementia symptoms. Participants interacting with the chatbot framed as a stranger with simulated symptoms often felt frustrated, especially when they had a task-oriented mindset. Chatbots can be promising tools for prompting reflections on challenging futures, such as dementia, although their effectiveness varies due to the tensions between simulated cognitive decline and expectations for effective communication.