An Observational Study of Older Adults’ Engagement With Generative AI in Tourism

This study challenges the “digital deficit” narrative by employing Social Practice Theory to examinehow older adults engage with generative artificial intelligence (GAI) during a group trip in China.The researcher followed 14 older adults and observed their engagement with a Chinese GAI assistantacross different phases of the trip. Data were obtained primarily through focus group discussions andwere contextually corroborated by semi-structured observations and digital artifacts. The analysisidentified three distinct configurations of practice: Fact-Checker, Pragmatist, and Integrated Partner.Specific structural mechanisms driving these transitions were identified, including vicarious competence, materially mediated autonomy, and path dependency. This study highlights the need to designGAI systems that adapt to older adults’ evolving agency and competence, emphasizing supporting forcollaborative scaffolding and materially mediated trust.