Enhancing engagement and emotional experience for older adults by animated prompts in AI-assisted drawing

Participating in drawing has been shown to provide numerous emotional and cognitive benefits for older adults. To fully realize these benefits, enhancing their engagement in drawing is crucial. This paper explores the feasibility of using animated prompts in AI-assisted drawing for older adults. We investigated the impact of animated prompts on the engagement levels and emotional responses of older adults during drawing sessions. A Wizard-of-Oz prototype was developed to assist older adults in drawing via animated prompts. These animated prompts allowed for interaction through a simple press to pause or restart motion. A user experiment was conducted with 48 older adults employing a mixed methods experimental design. The results indicate that the incorporation of animated prompts significantly increases both the engagement and emotional involvement of older adults in AI-assisted drawing. Moreover, the utilization of animated prompts does not reduce the perceived usability of AI assistance, nor does it diminish older adults’ psychological ownership of their paintings. Based on these findings, we present guidelines that may inform the design and development of AI drawing assistant for older adults.