Rock star vibes: Sky home is ‘bold, luxurious, and unapologetically different’

The cinema takes a bold approach with its design.

A glamorous sky home complete with a cinema, sauna, marble-encased bath and hidden lingerie closet has hit the market with a $2.6m plus price tag.

The party pad on the Gold Coast is described by Smith & Co director Shannon Smith as having rock star edge with its bold industrial styling.

6/446 Marine Parade, Biggera Waters overlooks the Broadwater.

The residence takes on a dark colour palette.

“This isn’t your typical white-on-white coastal apartment,” said Mr Smith.

“It’s been designed for someone who wants to make a statement — it’s bold, luxurious, and unapologetically different.”

The boutique Broadwater sub-penthouse at 6/446 Marine Pde, Biggera Waters takes up the entire sixth floor of the boutique LUXE on Marine building.

The three-bedroom 241 sqm residence has undergone a 12-month renovation to set it apart from the typical coastal home.

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The balcony overlooks the Broadwater.

The kitchen.

With a private lift entry, sweeping Broadwater views, and interiors that fuse polished concrete, black steel and warm textures, the his home is anything but ordinary.

“This home will suit a discerning buyer — an executive couple, someone relocating from Sydney or Melbourne, or a local downsizer who still wants wow-factor and space,” Mr Smith said.

“It’s luxurious, low-maintenance, and unlike anything else on the market.”

One of the bedrooms.

The lingerie closet includes a rack that’s been compared to the racks in high-end lingerie shop Honey Birdette.

The main bedroom includes a lavish primary suite with marble-encased bath, walk-in robe and hidden lingerie closet.

“(The lingerie closet) is a mirror in the bedroom which is a push to open, and has a cupboard behind it,” he said.

“Inside it looks like a rack from Honey Birdette with beautiful hangers and every piece hanging up.

“It does seem odd to hear, but when you see it – it just makes sense.

“It would be a great hidden shoe/sneaker cupboard as well – whatever you treasure.

“The hidden aspect adds to the fun and glamour of the home.”

The lounge looking back towards the kitchen.

The balcony.

The kitchen has premium Gaggenau appliances and a butler’s pantry while the cinema has velvet-draped walls and tiered seating.

There is also a 32sq m northeast-facing balcony that offers uninterrupted Broadwater views.

Property records reveal the apartment last changed hands for $1.38m in 2012 while it was listed for rent in 2018 at $1050 per week.

PropTrack data shows the median unit price in Biggera Waters is $700,000, up 10.9 per cent over 12 months.

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‘Never a good day’: Gen Y property manager spills on troubled industry

A 22-year-old property manager has exposed the grim realities of an industry plagued by high turnover, with nearly a third of its workforce contemplating resignation.

From workplace affairs and clueless young investors to poo-smeared walls and a rogue dildo, the Gen Y property manager said her negative experience drove her to quit the industry after two years.

It comes as the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) highlighted growing dissatisfaction among property managers caught between tenants grappling with sky-high rents, and landlords managing increased holding costs and changing rental laws.

Real estate agent with couple looking through documents.

High-pressure, underappreciated job

Taking to Reddit after resigning from her position at a Queensland agency, the woman, identified as IcyBrick3874, described a high-pressure, underappreciated job marked by disturbing tenant behaviour.

During an exit inspection, she found “human poop on the carpet floor and on walls EVERYWHERE! Used period pads, weed and used needles”.

In another routine inspection, she found a tenant’s “hot pink dildo was suction cupped to the shower wall”.

The property manager also cited challenges with “young, high-income individuals” buying their first properties as investments then demanding unrealistically high rents despite having

“minimal understanding of the rental market”.

Ultimately, she concluded, there was “never a good day”.

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Her experience aligned with insights shared by 751 property managers surveyed by MRI Software for the National Apartment Association, detailed in the Voice of the Property Manager 2024 report.

The research found 29 per cent of property managers wanted to quit within the next five years, rising to 31 per cent among those who had been in the industry for six or more years.

REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella said property management remained “a tough and emotionally taxing profession”, despite more training in areas like mental health and resilience.

“The abuse directed at property managers, including verbal aggression and public vilification, previously even from political figures, is completely unacceptable and disheartening,” Ms Mercorella said.

“Queensland’s property managers continue to operate in an incredibly high-pressure environment, with rental conditions remaining stubbornly tight and competition for more affordable, quality stock still intense.

“High turnover continues to strain agencies and the professionals who stay, taking a toll on service levels and wellbeing.”

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REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella. Picture: Liam Kidston

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IcyBrick3874 said she felt “set up to fail” as a young team leader with little experience: “the turn over is so high they take anyone”.

She also noted a disturbing workplace culture, revealing some older male sales agents were “inappropriately flirty with younger women”, creating a “really uncomfortable environment”.

It was “pretty widely known” that “married agents were involved in affairs with younger staff,” describing it as a side of the industry “rarely talked about, but definitely exists”.

Ms Mercorella said the introduction of Stage 2 rental law changes in May had added significant extra strain on workers tasked with educating landlords and managing disputes.

“While we welcome efforts to improve support for property managers, including professional development and mental health resources, the core issues — chronic rental undersupply and unrelenting regulatory change, continue to weigh heavily on the profession.

“If we want to retain skilled professionals and ensure the stability of our rental market, we must better support and value those on the frontline of housing delivery.”

Rental Market

Prospective tenants at a rental viewing in Ascot Vale. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Ascui

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Australia’s first skyscraper reopens

33 Alfred St, Australia’s first skyscraper, has now been completed after a three-year transformation. Photo: Dexus

Australia’s first ever skyscraper has undergone an extensive three-year renovation and has now reopened for business.

On the steps of Circular Quay, 33 Alfred Street holds a special place in Sydney’s history as the first building to break the city’s 150-foot height limit and was Australia’s tallest building at the time, at 117 metres tall.

Since its inauguration by Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies in 1962 it has stood as a testament to the city’s post-war growth, architectural innovation and as a hub for business and commerce.

The 26-storey building has undergone an extensive three-year restoration and has now been reopened by NSW Premier Chris Minns, completing the Quay Quarter Sydney office and retail precinct.

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Australia’s skyscraper, 26-storeys high. Photo: AMP Archives

33 Alfred Street’s original heritage charm and distinctive design features were retained, with the building’s iconic golden facade upgraded using 5,000 specially designed panels, increasing natural light, reducing glare and enhancing views of Sydney Harbour.

The floors and building services have also been modernised.

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The building has been redeveloped to achieve 5.5 star NABERS Energy rating for the base building and a 6-Star Green Star – Office As Built v3 rating, with the restoration delivered by Dexus as the development manager and Australian-owned contractor Built.

The first building to surpass Sydney’s 150-foot height limit. Photo: Dexus

Renders from inside the building.

AMP archives of inside the building.

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Dexus’ group chief executive officer and managing director Ross Du Vernet said it has been a “privilege to bring this landmark back to life.”

“The reopening of 33 Alfred Street begins a new chapter for this iconic building as a modern, sustainable workplace for more than 2,500 Sydneysiders,” he said.

The reopening of 33 Alfred Street, which is co-owned by Dexus Wholesale Property Fund and Mirvac Wholesale Office Fund, has direct access to the now completed Quay Quarter Sydney precinct which also features the award-winning Quay Quarter Tower and Quay Quarter Lanes.

The building was transformed over three years.

Together, these offer city visitors access to more than 35 cafes, bars, specialty restaurants, casual dining options and lifestyle, health and wellbeing outlets.

Scott Mosely, Mirvac’s chief executive officer funds management said the transformation is an example of their “commitment to exceptional quality assets with a focus on sustainable design and long-term investment performance.”

“A Sydney icon for over 60 years, this transformation will ensure 33 Alfred Street remains a Sydney landmark into the future.”

Completing the ‘Quay Quarter’ precinct.

The building has been transformed into a “state-of-the-art” office tower spanning around 32,000 square metres. The re-use of the existing structure has minimised landfill waste and extends the life cycle of the building.

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Former SA home of politician Sir William ‘Black Jack’ McDonald hits the market

The former home of a long-serving Victorian MP has been given a stunning facelift and is looking for new owners that will appreciate its history.

Originally built in the 1920s for Liberal MP Sir William “Black Jack’’ McDonald, 46 Foster St, Naracoorte, has undergone a three-year renovation to bring it into the modern era.

Sir McDonald, who was born at nearby Binnum, on the South Australian-Victorian border, was first elected to the Victorian parliament in 1947.

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The Naracoorte home at 46 Foster St was built for Sir William “Black Jack’’ McDonald in the 1920s.

Sir William (Jack) McDonald, former speaker in Victorian Parliament (1911-1995)P/

Sir William McDonald died in 1995.

His former home was renovated over three years.

The home has four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

He lost his seat in 1952 but was re-elected three years later and became Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

Knighted for his service to parliament in 1958, Sir McDonald later served as Minister of Lands, Soldier Settlement and Conservation, where he controversially proposed to develop the Little Desert, in Victoria’s north-west.

His plan never eventuated and Sir McDonald again lost his seat in 1970. He died in 1995.

Vendor Peter Janetski, who bought the four-bedroom home with wife Ella in 2022, said Sir McDonald, who was once commended for his innovative response to drought, used the home to entertain politicians and business acquaintances.

“His political career was quite colourful, as I understand it,’’ Mr Janetski said.

“There was a bit of creativeness in his dealings – the Australian way of doing things then I suppose, where if you do this, I will do that and that’s the way things happened.

“He used to bring people here to entertain them. But the kitchen was quite small and closed off (to the rest of the house) – you had to go all around the back (to access the kitchen from the rear).’’

Mr Janetski said the home, which has had only three owners in its 100-year history, was in terrible condition when he and his wife purchased it, with the couple ripping out “all the 70s garb’’ and replacing carpets and window furnishings.

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It’s contemporary throughout following the renovation.

There is plenty of living space both inside and out.

The home is on a 2080sqm block.

It even has a semi-covered bar in the backyard.

A more convenient, second doorway was added to the kitchen and the 2087sqm corner allotment was extensively landscaped.

The couple went to great pains to retain character features, including detailed cornices, ceiling roses and timber floors.

A semi-covered bar was added to the rear yard, which complements an undercover outdoor entertainment deck.

The property is being sold by Karyn Prelc, of Ray White Mount Gambier, without a price guide.

Recent home sales in the same street have fetched between $1m and $1.3m.

Ms Prelc expected most buyer interest to come from those who “just love the story’’ of the home.

“Some people don’t want a modern home, they want beauty and charm and history,’’ she said.

“This has got the history of being created for the politician Black Jack back in the day but there’s a little bit of mystery – we know a little bit about him but we don’t know much about the home, other than we think it was built in the 30s.

“Rather than the traditional buyer, this will be (bought by) someone that comes along and just falls in love with it – they will come in and say, ‘I didn’t even realise I needed this house but now I just have to have it’.’’

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Somerton Park beach home sells in whopping $7.65m deal

An old beach home on Somerton Park’s esplanade is set to be bulldozed following its whopping $7.65m sale.

The 1193sqm corner property with a two-storey 1960s-built house at 27 Esplanade attracted more than a dozen offers before selling in a deal that marks a new record for Holdfast Bay.

Property records show the previous top sale for a house in the council area was the South Brighton residence at 181 Esplanade, which sold for $6.375m in July 2024.

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The Somerton Park home at 27 Esplanade has sold in a $7.65m deal.

The sale marks a record for houses in the Holdfast Bay council area.

There were 14 offers for the property, which has an old beach home.

Selling agent Brad Allan, of Allan Real Estate, said the buyer purchased it for the land and would eventually knock the house down.

“At some stage it will probably be subdivided and split up in the family,” he said.

“We had 14 offers on it, not all of them were at that price level but a few were in excess of $7m.

“It was a mix of developers and a couple of people looking at it for one home as well.”

Mr Allan said most of the interest came from South Australian residents but there were a few keen interstate buyers.

“The interstate interest was from Perth, Queensland and Sydney,” he said.

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The house will eventually be bulldozed.

The buyer hopes to subdivide the property.

It’s on a corner lot across the road from a park.

On an elevated corner block with 22.86m of beach frontage, Mr Allan said its location, northerly aspect and position across the road from John Miller Reserve made it particularly appealing to prospective buyers.

He said properties like it were rare these days, which was also part of the reason it attracted so much interest.

According to property records, the sellers purchased the home in January 2013 for $2.76m.

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Rents down across greater Townsville

In good news for tenants, rents dropped or remained stable across half of the Townsville region in the May quarter, while the majority of increases were sitting below 6 per cent.

The latest PropTrack data showed in the past three months Greater Townsville house rents were down across nine suburbs, stable across a further six and up across 15.

In the unit market, rents were down in three suburbs, stable in seven and up in seven.

The biggest drop was in the North Ward house market where the median rent fell 8 per cent in the May quarter to sit at $388 per week.

Next was the Aitkenvale unit market where the average rent dropped 5 per cent in the past three months to $380, followed by the house market in Douglas with rents down 4 per cent to a median of $530.

The largest increase was in the West End unit market where the median rent was up 8 per cent since February to $388, followed by the Rosslea unit market, up 5 per cent to a median of $400, and the Townsville City unit market, up 5 per cent to a median of $550.

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The home at 13 Gregory St, North Ward, is for rent for $470 per week. Picture: realestate.com.au

REA Group economist Anne Flaherty said investor activity in Townsville may have helped stabilise the local rental market.

“Townsville has seen a surge in investor interest and I think it’s one of the things that has increased the total number of rental properties in Townsville,” she said.

“We do know if you see a surge in investor activity it can slow down rent growth.”

Real Estate Institute Queensland data from the March quarter showed the vacancy rate in Townsville was sitting at 1 per cent, down from 1.2 per cent in the December 2024 quarter and in line with the September 2024 quarter figure.

REIQ CEO, Antonia Mercorella said low vacancy rates such as the 1 per cent in Townsville were concerning.

“The REIQ classifies a “healthy” vacancy rate as between 2.6-3.5 per cent to sustain a stable rental market that caters to population growth and natural housing mobility,” Ms Mercorella said.

“The state wide vacancy rate remains tight at 0.9 per cent as of the March 2025 quarter, but has hovered around a critically low 1 per cent since December 2023.

“In many parts of the state, vacancy rates are even lower, indicating persistent pressure on supply and ongoing rental stress.”

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REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella. Picture: Liam Kidston

The PropTrack data showed in Queensland, rent prices decreased in 218 house or unit markets, and remained stable in a further 274 suburbs across the May quarter.

Ms Flaherty said she was surprised to see 35 per cent of Queensland record rent decreases.

“It’s good to see … a bit of stabilisation in rents,” she said.

“We have seen a significant slowdown in the pace of rental growth and some rents even moving backwards is good news for renters.

“The levels that rents were previously increasing were very challenging for a lot of households and well out of the ordinary.

“To now be in a situation where rent growth is in line with the historical average levels is a good thing.”

Ms Mercorella said rent decreases and stabilisation across Queensland suggested the market may have reached an affordability ceiling, prompting both lessors and tenants to recalibrate.

“Lessors are increasingly aware that each week a rental property sits vacant, it comes at a cost, and many are making pragmatic decisions around pricing to secure consistent, sustainable long-term tenancies,” she said.

“Property managers are reporting more subdued letting activity, longer days on market, and lessors being more careful with tenant selection.

At the same time, tenants are staying put for longer where they can, recognising the value and stability of renewing existing leases in an uncertain market.”

The home at 114 Riverbend Drive, Douglas, is for rent for $520 per week. Picture: realestate.com.au

TOWNSVILLE’S BIGGEST RENT DECREASES, MAY 2025 QUARTER

Property type Suburb Rent_May_2025 Rent_Feb_2025 QoQ
House North Ward $600 $650 -8%
Unit Aitkenvale $380 $400 -5%
House Douglas $530 $550 -4%
House West End $535 $550 -3%
House Charters Towers City $370 $380 -3%
House Ingham $370 $380 -3%
House Mundingburra $540 $550 -2%
House Cosgrove $560 $570 -2%
Unit Kirwan $385 $390 -1%
House Oonoonba $490 $495 -1%

TOWNSVILLE’S BIGGEST RENT INCREASES, MAY 2025 QUARTER

Property type Suburb Rent_May_2025 Rent_Feb_2025 QoQ
Unit West End $388 $360 8%
Unit Rosslea $400 $380 5%
Unit Townsville City $550 $525 5%
House Condon $490 $470 4%
House Ayr $375 $360 4%
Unit Ingham $295 $285 4%
Unit Idalia $460 $450 2%
House Gulliver $480 $470 2%
House Rasmussen $480 $470 2%
House Heatley $480 $470 2%

(SOURCE: PropTrack)

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Unusual two-for-one Moolap property sells for record price

20 High St, Moolap, has sold for a record price of $1.8m.

An unusual two-for-one deal has helped a sprawling residential property in Moolap achieve a record price.

The $1.8m sale marks a new chapter for 20 High St, Moolap, where the twin benefits of dual houses attracted a not-for-profit buyer.

First National, Golden Plains agent Owen Sharkey said the organisation had “big plans” to create client accommodation at the 4740sq m corner property.

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It currently comprises a renovated, four-bedroom family home and a separate period residence that had been operating as a successful Airbnb.

Mr Sharkey said the unconventional property initially proved a tough sell but it’s flexibility eventually attracted several potential buyers.

“It just went gangbusters and we ended up having two or three parties fighting for it,” he said.

“We had a lot of people looking at it from an alternative type living arrangement, as in dual families, and there are a lot of properties around there that seem to be taken up by government agencies so we tapped into a few of them to see if they had any interest in the area and, as it turned out, one of them did.”

He said the organisation trumped one other group, which saw a chance for a multigenerational base with the parents in one house and younger family members in another.

An island bench is at the heart of the renovated kitchen.

There’s garden views from the main living area.

“I think that’s probably going to be something that’s exciting properties into the future is those dual occupancy ones where mum and dad can chip in and throw a million bucks into rather than heading off to a nursing home,” he said.

“You are able to leave that wealth creation to the kids down the road.”

The renovated two-storey house at the property provides spacious accommodation, with dual living zones, two home offices and a large rumpus room with a wood fire in a converted garage.

Granite benchtops and dual Smeg ovens feature in the kitchen, while three of the four bedrooms have modern ensuite bathrooms.

The home’s former garage is now a versatile rumpus room and entertainment space.

The main bedroom’s ensuite has a freestanding tub and dual vanities.

Nearby another three-bedroom character home, ‘Montreaux on High’, had been lovingly restored and renovated.

It has its own secure front garden and had been generating an annual holiday let income of $58,500 a year with a 55 per cent vacancy rate.

“It was a very interesting property given its proximity to Geelong and the size of it. You do forget you have that area there in Moolap … it’s a really unusual pocket,” Mr Sharkey said.

The $1.8m price tag is the most expensive price for a house on a residential block under 2ha in Moolap.

The suburb’s median house price has lifted slightly to $1.145m over the past year, according to PropTrack data.

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$130m project to build 195-home village for over-55s downsizing

The community centre will be the centrepiece in ReGen Living’s Waurn Ponds lend lease village for over-55s looking to downsize.

A new entrant to the growing lend lease community space targeting downsizers has made a start to a $130m Waurn Ponds project.

Oliver Hume’s ReGen Living has commenced work on the 195-home project at Hams Rd that will feature a $10m clubhouse, dedicated active sports precinct, health and wellness space, and a workshop adjacent to an edible garden and greenhouse hub.

The homes will sit within more than 3ha of parkland, including walking and bicycle trails, playgrounds and sporting ovals.

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ReGen Living general manager Ashley Duster said changing demographics required a new approach to downsizing for people in the over-55 age bracket.

Oliver Hume research shows the population aged between 55 and over 85 in Waurn Ponds is forecast to grow 119 per cent by 2046.

Already an older population, more people are expected to consider downsizing options.

“This is a true masterplanned community that puts lifestyle first with best-practice design and a financial model that allows buyers to own their home while leasing the land,” Mr Duster said.

ANYTIME - Waurn Ponds arrest

ReGen chose Waurn Ponds as it has established shopping and services to benefit residents as soon as they move in. Picture: Brad Fleet

ReGen Living chose the Waurn Ponds location for its first project due to its proximity to established everyday amenities, such as shopping centres and services that are ready to use now.

“We spent considerable time researching how people over 55 want to live,” Mr Duster said. “In listening to these needs we have turned land lease living on its head and will deliver a truly innovative community.

“Homes will be priced to allow local downsizers to release funds from the sale of their existing home. For some people, this means money to travel, buying a new car, or helping out the kids.”

Lend lease villages are becoming an increasingly competitive space, with operators involved in an arms race of design features to lure customers.

Such as the clubhouse which is designed to offer an indoor and outdoor pool, gymnasium, private cinema, his-and-her steam rooms, wine bar, billiards parlour, a co-working space and private dining room.

An artist’s image showing a residential streetscape at the ReGen Living Waurn Ponds village.

Tennis and pickleball, a golf similar and sports bar pavilion will be features of the active sports precinct.

The nearby Lakehouse Wellness and Creative Centre features a yoga and pilates studio, as well as a creative arts hub.

A range of two, two-and-a-half and three-bedroom homes with single or double garages are designed for the community, which can accommodate between two and four cars and contain ready-to-move-in inclusions, oversized storage and private outdoor open space.

Two-bedroom options at ReGen Living Waurn Ponds are expected to start from around $580,000, with prerelease purchase benefits available for buyers who register before September.

The development comes after Levande submitted $70m plans for a 125-unit retirement village at Highton.

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Brokers might not agree on CCP, but they do believe in broad exposure for listings

Real estate industry executives may not see eye to eye on the National Association of Realtors‘ (NAR) Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP), but there is one thing they do agree on — the vast majority of sellers receive the most benefit from listing transparency and broad exposure of their listings. 

“The average people that our agents are working with everyday are thinking about things like affordability and how they can maximize the value of their home — and typically that comes from exposure,” Ginger Wilcox, the president of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, said during a panel discussion at HousingWire’s The Gathering. 

Mauricio Umansky, the CEO of The Agency, who does not support CCP, agreed with Wilcox that in most situations, sellers get the most benefit from listing on the MLS.

“The easiest path to selling a property is to put it on the MLS and broadcast it on all the portals. I think agents should be trained to say, ‘In order for me to give you the most exposure and to maximize your value, you should be on the market,’” Umansky said.

“Every off-market listing I’ve been on — and I’ve been selling real estate for 29 years now — I’ve tried to convince my sellers to put it on the market. I’ve never told them that an off-market listing was their best strategy.” 

Despite this assertion, Umansky said there have been occasions when ultra-luxury listings have benefited from being sold off market. Due to this, he feels that there is no one right way to sell real estate.

“There should be flavors for everybody, and everybody should have the choice as to what they want to pick,” Umansky said. “Restricting what we can and cannot do stops creativity, and it stops innovation.” 

Umansky said it’s important to remember that there are two parties involved in a real estate transaction — a buyer and a seller — and that both should have choices. 

“Sellers have to have the autonomy to make decisions about how they want to sell,” Umansky said.

Errol Samuelson, the chief industry development officer at Zillow and a staunch supporter of CCP, noted that even with the policy as it currently stands, sellers do have many choices as to how to market their listing.

“If you’re a seller who prioritizes privacy over maximizing sales price, the policy allows for office exclusives, or you can put a listing on the MLS and indicate that you don’t want it shared on the internet,” Samuelson said. “You can also suppress the address or only share one main exterior photo.”

Despite his company’s strong feelings about listing transparency, Samuelson noted that there are some instances, such as privacy and security reasons, where it makes the most sense for a seller to do an off-market or private listing. 

Wilcox also acknowledged this and noted it’s why her firm has an internal private listing platform. 

“We think it is an important part of seller choice, and it is part of having that holistic view of listing strategies that are going to support every seller depending on what their needs are,” Wilcox said of BHGRE’s internal listing platform.

“Our expectation is that we’ll be using it in limited instances because we believe that for the majority of listings, broad exposure is best for buyers and sellers.”

If brokerages move to siloed private listing networks, Umansky believes this will harm competition in the industry.

“We should be collaborating even when things are private,” Umansky said. “There are a lot of independent brokers, family-owned brokerages that have been around for generations, and it is not fair for them to not have access to those listings and to not have the opportunity to share them with their clients.” 

As the real estate industry looks to navigate its way through the debate about CCP, Samuelson said it’s important to remember who agents and brokerages ultimately serve.

“This is about what is best for consumers — what is best for buyers and what is best for sellers. If that becomes our North Star, the industry will thrive,” Samuelson said. “What makes the U.S. industry work so well is that cooperation. All agents in the market should get a crack at bringing a buyer to a listing, and that is only possible if there is equitable access.” 

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AI training could be alienating, leaving out older adults

Technology disruptions often arrive quickly and loudly, as has been the case with recent evolutions in artificial intelligence (AI).

The use of AI-powered chatbots and devices could reshape the way people live and work for decades to come. But with any new major technological shift also comes the possibility that some people will be left behind, which is exactly how older people may be feeling in the midst of the AI revolution.

This is according to a recent report from Kiplinger, which examined recent AI studies and details for how this technology is trained by workers and users.

One cited study from 2024, for instance, found that AI chatbots “frequently returned responses laced with age-related stereotypes, evidence that bias isn’t theoretical, but built into the behavior of the tools themselves.”

Evidence suggests that the data selected for use in AI training, which is being controlled by younger workers and users, could slowly be introducing age-related biases into the way these systems work. This could potentially leave older users out of the equation for utility and user experience.

Brittne Kakulla, a senior research adviser at senior advocacy group AARP, said that much of the potential disconnect with AI from older users comes from what its trainers look for when inputting data — as well as the styles of older people who might appreciate function over form.

“I think the biggest disconnect is in what’s prioritized in tech itself,” Kakulla sold Kiplinger. “Older adults prioritize function over flash, which can be counter to the tech industry’s obsession with speed and novelty.”

The question this raises is one of usefulness and relevance for older users, which is compounded by the well-documented aging of society at large across the developed world.

One of the questions posed by the Kiplinger piece revolves around long-term impacts on work and life through these apparent exclusions — particularly in industries like financial services and health care.

“Researchers and advocates say the stakes are high,” Kiplinger noted. “Excluding older adults from the design, testing and governance of AI could lead to systems that not only overlook their needs but also fall short for everyone.”

When older people are left out of the discussion, particularly with such a major technological development driving rapid public and private sector adoption, the results can be severely negative.

As pointed out by Kiplinger, a 2022 policy brief published by the World Health Organization said there is potential for amplified age discrimination for a cohort that would need the most assistance.

“[A]ge often determines who receives certain medical procedures or treatments,” the brief explained. “Any such systematic discrimination in the provision of health care can be reproduced in AI, which builds on historical data. In this way, AI algorithms can fix existing disparities in health care and systematically discriminate on a much larger scale than biased individuals.

“Health and medical data generated from other sources, including clinical trials, also tend to exclude or insufficiently represent older people in the data set.”

Butthe explosive growth in AI adoption over the past several years could suggest that the technology is “becoming more relevant to older adults,” according to Kakulla.

“Tech companies need to account for diversity across the entire lifestage, and design for the lifestage,” she said.

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