Shanghai Researchers Unveil 7-Minute AI Tool to Screen Seniors for Language Disorders

A team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University has launched a breakthrough intelligent system that assesses older adults' linguistic abilities and flags potential language disorders in just seven minutes – offering a fast track to early detection of neurocognitive conditions like Alzheimer's, stroke, and Parkinson's disease.

Led by Professor Chang Hui, executive director of the university's National Research Center for Language and Health, the three-year project was developed in partnership with researchers from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. Built on data from more than 1,000 seniors across China – spanning ages, education levels, cognitive abilities, and backgrounds – the system features three core modules: two listening-comprehension tasks and a speaking exercise.

Powered by Alibaba's Qwen3 large language model, the tool delivers scores, early warning alerts, and clinical intervention guidelines in just three seconds. Its results align with expert assessments by over 90 percent, a key benchmark for reliability in medical screening tools.

Designed to run on tablets, smartphones, and computers, the cloud-based platform is tailored for versatile use – from hospital and community health check-ups to routine screenings in nursing homes or private residences.

"This fills a critical gap in rapid, accessible language disorder screening for China's aging population," Chang said. "It empowers proactive healthcare management by catching early signs of neurocognitive issues that might otherwise go unnoticed."

Set to be made available to the public next year, the system comes as China grapples with a growing elderly demographic, with experts emphasizing the need for scalable, non-invasive tools to support geriatric care. By streamlining language assessments, the technology aims to improve long-term health outcomes through timely interventions.