A pocket-sized personal trainer: AI-written texts aim to get older adults moving

MedicalXpress | Apr 09, 2026

Artificial intelligence can write text messages encouraging physical activity that most older adults consider appropriate and good quality, but their feelings about AI—and whether they know AI wrote the message—impact their response, suggests a new study in the Journals of Gerontology. The research is an important first step in helping health programs use AI to support large-scale behavior change, said lead author Allyson Tabaczynski, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology.