The Speculative Future of Conversational AI for Neurocognitive Disorder Screening: a Multi-Stakeholder Perspective
This work addresses the problem of scalable and socially acceptable screening for neurocognitive disorders like Alzheimer's, but it is incremental as it builds on prior research with a focus on stakeholder perspectives.
The study tackled the challenge of designing conversational AI (CAI) for neurocognitive disorder screening by interviewing 36 stakeholders, revealing shared expectations like home deployment to reduce stress but conflicts such as emotional support needs versus professional standards.
Neurocognitive disorders (NCDs), such as Alzheimer's disease, are globally prevalent and require scalable screening methods for proactive management. Prior research has explored the potential of technologies like conversational AI (CAI) to administer NCD screening tests. However, challenges remain in designing CAI-based solutions that make routine NCD screening socially acceptable, engaging, and capable of encouraging early medical consultation. In this study, we conducted interviews with 36 participants, including clinicians, individuals at risk of NCDs, and their caregivers, to explore the speculative future of adopting CAI for NCD screening. Our findings reveal shared expectations, such as deploying CAI in home or community settings to reduce social stress. Nonetheless, conflicts emerged among stakeholders, for example, users' need for emotional support may conflict with clinicians' preference for CAI's professional and standardized administration. Then, we look into the user journey of NCD screening based on the current practice of manual screening and the expected CAI-supported screening. Finally, leveraging the human-centered approach, we provide actionable implications for future CAI design in NCD screening.