Older adults represent a largely underserved demographic in technology. Despite their increasing adoption of digital tools, most products still cater to younger users, leaving major gaps in areas like accessibility, safety, health care, financial management and digital literacy.
For tech companies, pivoting toward solutions for older adults represents a significant business opportunity. To highlight where innovation is falling short, Forbes Technology Council members share 20 practical, high-potential areas where companies can truly meet the needs of older users.
1. Voice-Activated Interfaces That Replace Touchscreens
Tech companies overlook that older adults spent decades talking on telephones, not typing on screens. Today’s AI Voice models, combined with MCP integrations, can allow seniors to naturally interact with apps by simply speaking. This solution could eliminate touchscreen friction, creating a UX that aligns with habits seniors have relied on their entire lives. – Anthony Rassi, PAP!
2. Robotic Companions With AI-Powered Support
There’s an immense opportunity to combine robotics and AI to create supportive, protective systems that serve as a simplified interface to new technologies for older adults. Smart, intuitive robotic assistants could enhance daily living, safety and connectivity, offering personalized help, fraud protection and seamless tech access, bridging the digital gap for aging populations. – Behzad Mahdavi, InnoGI technologies
3. Accessibility Testing Built Into Product Design
Tech companies often overlook thorough accessibility testing when serving older adults. By rigorously validating products for usability, readability and navigation, businesses can ensure their solutions meet the unique needs of seniors, ultimately enhancing market reach and customer loyalty. – Dzmitry Lubneuski, a1qa
4. Private Communities Designed For Older Adults
Tech companies can profit from building a community for older adults where they can share their experiences, including health, marriage, parenting, finances and careers. The app will be restricted to older adults, and anonymous extracts from the community can be shared as a guide for younger generations as lessons learned. – Nihinlola Adeyemi, SecureOps Solutions LLC
5. Verification Tools To Reduce Financial Scams
Tech companies overlook the potential of data verification services for older adults. As improper payments cost billions annually, there’s an untapped market for solutions that help seniors verify the legitimacy of financial communications and services while preserving privacy. Simple, trusted verification tools can prevent fraud while giving older adults confidence in digital interactions. – Nick Hart, Data Foundation
6. AI Assistants That Simplify Daily Living
One overlooked business opportunity is AI-driven personalized digital assistants tailored for older adults, helping them navigate technology, health care and daily tasks with ease. While tech adoption is growing among seniors, many solutions lack intuitive design, adaptive learning and voice-driven accessibility, creating a massive gap for companies to fill with human-centered AI innovations. – Govinda Rao Banothu, Cognizant Technology Solutions
7. Digital Literacy Platforms Tailored To Seniors
One overlooked opportunity is creating tailored digital literacy programs and support platforms for older adults. By developing accessible, user-friendly interfaces and providing targeted educational resources, tech companies can empower this demographic to adopt emerging technologies more confidently, opening a new market segment. – Srikanth Bellamkonda
8. Support Systems For Exploring New Passions
Everyone has a passion beyond daily work, yet older adults often lack the support to explore theirs. Encouraging them to develop new skills unlocks creativity, keeps them engaged and healthy and fuels innovation. Their wisdom, combined with fresh pursuits, can spark out-of-the-box ideas and drive community and economic growth. It’s never too late to chase passion—it’s the key to lifelong impact. – Harikrishnan Muthukrishnan, Florida Blue
9. Reverse Mentoring Through Cross-Generational Tech
An overlooked opportunity is embedding applications and resources that encourage and support reverse mentoring. Studies show that we learn more quickly when we are young, so enabling the multi-generational workforce, and communities at large, to share experiences, utilizing the digital platforms that remove geographical borders, offers huge potential to shape an age-diverse workforce. – Mark Thirlwell, BSI Group
10. Smart Home Technology That Prioritizes Trust
Smart home tech for seniors is a vast, untapped market, but success hinges on simplicity and trust. The design and implementation must be intuitive, prioritizing safety and ease of use. Partnering with elder-care networks for distribution and support will be crucial, ensuring adoption and ongoing value. – Neil Lampton, TIAG
11. Digital And Robotic Companions For Independent Living
There is a significant opportunity to develop an AI-powered digital and robotic companion for older adults who could manage finances, prescriptions, medical reminders and mental well-being while providing companionship. Proactive check-ins, emergency alerts and robotic support for mobility and daily tasks would empower independence, ensure safety and redefine aging with dignity. – Nihar Malali, National Life Group
12. Scam-Prevention Apps With On-Demand Guidance
Older adults are often easy targets for online, financial and identity fraud. We are missing companion apps that empower older adults with on-demand decision-making and help avoid clickbait scams. I would wager that most older adults would be willing to purchase a product that can help protect their identity and finances. – Madhuri Sesha Sarma, Carta Inc
13. Cognitive And Emotional Wellness Tools
An interesting business opportunity that companies are missing is the development of digital solutions that improve the cognitive and emotional needs of older adults. It is a valuable opportunity because it is a growing group, generally with purchasing power and with the free time and willingness to adopt technology, as long as it is specially designed and adapted for them. – David Barberá Costarrosa, Beeping Fulfilment
14. Simplified Cybersecurity Solutions
Tech companies are overlooking the need for intuitive cybersecurity solutions tailored for older adults. With rising cyber threats, seniors are often targeted by scams and fraud. A user-friendly, AI-powered security assistant that detects suspicious activity, simplifies privacy settings and offers real-time scam alerts could empower seniors to navigate the digital world safely. – Roman Vinogradov, Improvado
15. Senior-Focused Wearable Fitness Devices
While many fitness devices target younger populations, there’s an untapped opportunity in creating wearable tech designed specifically for seniors. This could include features like fall detection, mobility tracking, heart health monitoring and tailored exercise programs that help older adults maintain an active lifestyle while staying safe. – Amy Gu, Dynamsoft
16. Adaptive Technology That Evolves With Users
Tech companies overlook personalization for older adults. Instead of just making products “easier,” the real opportunity is adaptive tech that evolves with users. AI-powered interfaces that adjust for vision changes, voice-controlled systems and proactive health tracking can help them stay independent longer. The future isn’t just accessibility—it’s tech that adapts as they do. – Albert Lie, Forward Labs
17. Visual Tools For Retirement Wealth Management
Simplified wealth decumulation tools represent the biggest missed opportunity. Seniors struggle with drawing down retirement assets, yet tech focuses on wealth-building. A visual, jargon-free system for navigating tax-efficient withdrawals would capture millions facing these challenges. This multi-trillion-dollar market remains underserved despite boomers controlling substantial wealth. – Jitender Jain
18. Senior-Friendly Lifelong Learning Platforms
One overlooked business opportunity is lifelong learning and skill reinvention platforms, which can be specifically created for retirees and career professionals who are late-career. There is a lot of tech ed focusing on younger generations. There is a growing demand for AI-driven learning hubs that are senior-friendly and can offer insights on second-career digital literacy opportunities. – Harini Shankar
19. AI Safety Systems For Proactive Health Monitoring
Building AI-driven personal safety platforms using sensor data and machine learning can monitor changes in behavior or cognitive function to enable early intervention and personalized support. This helps older adults maintain independence and dignity, offering comprehensive, preventative safety nets beyond basic emergency alerts. – Pradeep Kumar Muthukamatchi, Microsoft
20. Fun-Focused Tech That Encourages Connection
Create engaging, fun-focused technologies for older adults. There’s a largely untapped market for products that enhance enjoyment, social connection and cognitive stimulation. Seniors have more disposable income, more free time and increasing tech adoption rates, yet most companies fail to deliver the entertainment value they’ve successfully created for younger generations. – Darshan Kapashi, Socratic
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