Exploring how smart technologies support older people while respecting their privacy

On World Patient Safety Day, 17 September, we often think about preventing medical errors, infections or other risks in healthcare. But for older people living independently, safety can also mean knowing that help will arrive when something goes wrong, without giving up privacy, dignity or control.

This is where smart technology could make a difference. But it also raises an uncomfortable question: how much monitoring is too much?

The COST Action GoodBrother explored how cameras, microphones and artificial intelligence could support older people while respecting their fundamental right to privacy.

Cameras, care and a simple question: who is watching whom?

Imagine living alone in your eighties. A small camera could detect if you fall. A microphone could recognize signs of trouble and alert a carer. Smart technologies like these have enormous potential to help older people to live independently for longer.

But there is a problem. As soon as cameras and microphones enter the home, many people start to worry. Who can access the recordings? Who owns the data? Could helpful technology start to feel more like surveillance?

These were the questions addressed by the COST Action Network on Privacy-Aware Audio- and Video-Based Applications for Active and Assisted Living (GoodBrother). This European network brought together engineers, lawyers, healthcare professionals, ethicists, social scientists, industry representatives, and end users. The network aimed to answer a difficult question:

In what ways can powerful monitoring technologies be used to support people while still respecting their right to privacy?

From Big Brother to GoodBrother

When the Action started, many assisted-living technologies relied on relatively simple devices, such as alarm buttons, door sensors and motion detectors. They are useful but limited.

“A door sensor may tell us that a door has opened,” says Francisco Florez-Revuelta, “but it does not always explain what has actually happened. It may not show whether a person has fallen, is confused, needs help or is simply carrying out a normal daily activity.”

However, new advances in computer vision, audio analysis and artificial intelligence offer a solution. Cameras and microphones can detect falls, recognize activities and identify emergencies, helping caregivers to respond more quickly.

But these technologies also raise concerns.

“Having a camera or microphone in your home can feel like surveillance,” notes the Chair. “People may worry about who can see or hear them, where the data goes, and whether recordings could be accessed or used without consent.”

The perception was to be challenged by GoodBrother. The project’s name reflected its mission: to move beyond the fear of a ‘Big Brother’ society and show that technology can be designed to be helpful and respectful.

Privacy first, technology second

One of GoodBrother’s most important contributions was changing the way privacy is considered.

Too often, ethical and legal questions are discussed after a technology has already been built. GoodBrother turned that process upside down.

“GoodBrother brought ethical, legal and privacy issues into the design of Active Assisted Living (AAL) technologies by making them part of the technical work from the beginning, rather than treating them as an afterthought,” says Francisco.

The Action created a unique multidisciplinary forum where specialists who rarely work together could share perspectives and learn from each other.

Lawyers discussed consent and data protection.

Ethicists examined dignity and autonomy.

Engineers developed privacy-preserving technical solutions.

Healthcare professionals focused on users’ needs.

The result, as Dr Florez-Revuelta describes it, was a ‘pipeline connecting values, methods and applications’.

The network produced practical resources that continue to guide researchers, developers, and policymakers to this day. These include:

• The Trustworthy AAL Design Cards provided step-by-step advice for creating privacy-compliant solutions.
• The 50 Questions on Active Assisted Living Technologies booklet, which explains the benefits, risks, and privacy implications of these technologies in an accessible way. The publication has already been translated into several European languages.
• A major position paper on ethical, legal and social issues and an upcoming interdisciplinary book from Springer consolidated the Action’s expertise, reinforcing its influence in the field.

These resources helped create a new benchmark for privacy-aware innovation.

The smart speaker is smarter than you think

The Action repeatedly raised one key point, namely that many people do not realize how sophisticated and advanced assisted living technologies really are.

“People often think cameras and smart speakers are simple, everyday devices,” says Francisco. “But in Active Assisted Living, these technologies can do much more.”

For example, a smart speaker can help older adults control household devices, make calls, receive medication reminders, request assistance and stay in touch with family and carers.

Similarly, cameras do not necessarily need to function as continuous surveillance systems.

“Some systems can focus on patterns of movement rather than detailed personal images,” explains Francisco Florez-Revuelta. “This can help protect privacy while still supporting safety.”

Young researchers take the controls

GoodBrother did not simply train the next generation of researchers. It trusted them with responsibility.

“Young researchers were not treated as passive participants,” says Francisco. “They took active roles in the scientific work, the organization of activities and the management of the network.”

Many led working groups, organized meetings, coordinated activities and contributed directly to key outputs. The training schools held in North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia introduced participants to disciplines beyond their own areas of expertise, including engineering, computer science, law, ethics and healthcare. Importantly, young researchers were encouraged to act as both learners and teachers.

“As trainers, they had the chance to present their own expertise, build confidence and gain visibility within an international network,“ shared the Action Chair.

For many participants, these opportunities proved transformative. One of them was Anto Čartolovni, Associate Professor at the Catholic University of Croatia, who led GoodBrother’s Working Group on Social Responsibility.

“Leading a working group in GoodBrother was the definitive catalyst in my transformation from a young researcher into a recognized international researcher. It pushed me from observing technology to actively shaping how technology is designed and developed.”

Working with engineers, healthcare professionals, legal experts and social scientists also changed how he understood privacy and technology.

“Most importantly, I learned to see these systems through the eyes of the end user, for whom privacy is the foundation of trust and often the deciding factor in whether assistive technology is accepted or rejected.”

The experience continued to shape his career long after the Action ended.

“The experience and international collaborations developed through GoodBrother directly shaped my professional journey, from serving as an ethics expert at the European Research Council to leading the Department of Ethical, Legal and Societal Implications at BBMRI-ERIC.”

Anto’s story reflects one of GoodBrother’s lasting achievements. It produced scientific outputs and helped build a new generation of researchers capable of bridging technology, ethics and society.

When good ideas keep travelling

The end of a COST Action is often the beginning of new collaborations. And GoodBrother has already inspired several follow-up projects.

Among them is MAYA, a Horizon Europe project which uses a smart mirror and an AI-powered conversational assistant to help young cancer survivors manage long-term health complications.

Another is EMA_FRAILTY, which combines smart sensors and innovative monitoring approaches to detect early signs of frailty in older adults and provide prompt support.

The third example is the COST Action Science in Diplomacy Network: implementing multilateral policymaking in intersectoral, cross-disciplinary and strategic domains (SiDnet). This Action is not a direct continuation of GoodBrother, because its focus is on science diplomacy rather than AAL. However, it reflects the wider expertise and networking culture developed through GoodBrother.

Looking back on his experience, Dr Gianluigi M. Riva, the Chair of Action SiDnet, explains how GoodBrother influenced his career and opened up new opportunities.

“I joined GoodBrother while completing my PhD because I was attracted by its openness to diverse background and bottom-up initiatives from young researchers. The Action gave me long-term relationship (and friendship) with fellow legal scholars and colleagues from other disciplines and the opportunity to lead a Working Group on ethical, legal and privacy issues.

The project, my role, the connections I made and the opportunities I had influenced my career development greatly. My current position derives directly from a collaboration born during the Action, precisely with the Chair, Francisco Florez-Revuelta, with whom I work in the THCS project EMA-FRAILTY on AAL technologies for fragile people.

I was eventually awarded my own COST Action, SiDnet, in which many previous GoodBrother fellows have also joined. I am now building on the experience and leadership examples gained within GoodBrother.”

The three projects emerged from relationships and expertise developed through the Action GoodBrother, demonstrate how collaboration across disciplines can lead to entirely new research directions.

Furthermore, GoodBrother succeeded in bringing together fields that had historically worked in isolation, including assisted living, privacy, data protection, and aging research.

A future built on trust

Since Europe’s population is aging, the demand for technologies that support independent living will continue to grow. For the Action Chair, the future depends on balancing innovation with trust.

“GoodBrother has demonstrated that these technologies can support independent living and improve the quality of life for older adults, while also addressing privacy concerns,” he says.

Francisco hopes the Action’s legacy will be visible not only in future research, but also in people’s everyday lives.

“In the long term”, he concludes, “I hope GoodBrother’s impact will be seen in a stronger, more sustainable market for assisted-living technologies in Europe, where privacy, trust and user-centred design are paramount.”

In other words, technology works best when it behaves less like Big Brother and a little more like a good one.

Source:

European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST)