Visual communication has been central to community-based ageing initiatives, serving as a medium to convey lived experiences, vulnerabilities and aspirations for change. With the increasing accessibility of generative AI tools, new opportunities are emerging for communities to refine and amplify these visual narratives for broader stakeholder engagement. Yet, little is known about how creators—community researchers, volunteers, and older adult partners—experience AI-mediated image generation, or how such tools influence the clarity, actionability, and emotional resonance of ageing-related messages. This study investigates how AI-generated illustrations support community engagement within Singapore’s Senior’s Action for Greater Empowerment (SAGE) programme, focusing on the role of visuals in communicating movements for social change.

Embedded into a participatory design approach, creators produced two forms of visuals: (1) AI-refined versions of existing community artefacts, and (2) AI-generated images based on prompts reflecting themes from ageing communities, such as mobility, food security, and loneliness. Participants engaged in prompting sessions followed by think-aloud discussions and short interviews exploring usability, cognitive effort, confidence, representational accuracy, and perceived value for stakeholder communication. Visual outputs were assessed by using a rubric evaluating clarity, narrative fidelity, inclusivity, and communicative impact.

Initial findings suggest that AI tools can enhance the communicability of ageing issues by helping creators articulate complex community narratives more vividly. However, creators also identified tensions around stylistic boundaries, and the ethics of representing older adults through AI. These insights contribute to emerging scholarship on AI-mediated creativity and offer practical guidance for integrating AI visuals into ageing-focused community dialogue, exhibitions, and movement-building initiatives.

Authors:
Anna Karenina Dungca, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Zoe Hildon, National University of Singapore, Singapore

About the Presenter(s)
Anna Dungca is a Research Associate and PhD student in Public Health at the National University of Singapore researching participatory and network approaches to ageing and community empowerment.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annakareninadungca

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anna-Dungca-2

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