Turn the dial on a vintage 1950s radio and encounter something unexpected: AI-generated music on one band and traditional human-curated content on another. This interactive demo presents a bespoke, interactive "AI Radio" designed as a tangible and familiar interface to engage audiences (e.g. older adults) in discussions about the social and ethical impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Rather than abstract discussions about algorithms, the nostalgic radio interface provides a hands-on way to explore questions about AI quality, ethics and accessibility in everyday media. Research [1] indicates that adopting nostalgic elements can help older adults engage with new technologies in a more intuitive and less intimidating manner.

The radio was developed through a Participatory Design [2] methodology within an Action Research [3] framework. Its design was directly informed by six public engagement events where older adults were asked to reimagine legacy technology in an AI context. This process transformed the radio from a simple playback device into a co-designed tool that reflects the lived experiences and accessibility needs of the older demographic. Technical development (Figure 1) focused on "Open-Source Hardware" (OSHW), using modular Python-based software running on an internal Raspberry Pi, to ensure the platform remains adaptable for various engagement scenarios. The concrete modular design of the chassis (Figure 2) and internals, provides an engaging mechanism for exploring the use of accessible maker technologies like 3D printing and laser cutting and facilitates replication and modification of the platform by maker communities to support the co-evolution of software and hardware as new interactions emerge, for example, to develop radio designs that are reflective of different decades.

Participants at the demo interact with the radio's three primary "bands," which prompt reflection and discussion:

• Baseline Band: tune into human-curated audio streams, featuring intentional "inter-station noise" (white noise) to replicate the familiar analogue experience and provide a clear distinction from AI content.

• AI Music Band: experience music generated by AI algorithms, prompting reflections on creativity and machine-generated art.

• AI Podcast Band: listen to synthetic spoken-word content and consider the nuances of AI voices, potential "hallucinations" in information and algorithmic bias.

Through these interactions, participants are invited to "reimagine" the radio’s functionality, providing feedback on the impact of AI generated content, how AI-curated recommender systems should behave and what ethical guardrails are necessary.

This demo aligns with the DARIAH 2026 goal of "Building Infrastructures of Engagement" by providing a case study in which physical objects facilitate digital literacy. It serves as a mechanism to:

• Foster Trust and Inclusion: By using "nostalgia-as-a-bridge," the project creates a low-barrier-to-entry environment for discussing complex topics like data privacy and algorithmic control.

• Empower Co-Creators: The process reframes older adults from passive consumers into active contributors to the AI design lifecycle, increasing their confidence in navigating the digital world.

Support National Literacy: The platform is intended for deployment in public engagement programs, such as Age-Friendly AI: Ireland’s National Artificial Intelligence Literacy Initiative for Older Adults [4] to democratise conversations about an increasingly AI-driven world.