For Seniors Who Are Lonely, Robots Offer Companionship

Scientists and senior care communities are investigating the use of digital companions, including robots and chatbots, to assist older adults without overwhelming health systems, reports the Wall Street Journal . Such devices are being developed to do everything from monitoring chronic health conditions to encouraging seniors to stay active and engaged. Intuition Robotics co-founder Dor Skuler says natural-language processing technology has advanced to better realize automation applications for senior care, and some digital assistants have enabled certain health systems to scale back nurse home visits and prevent unnecessary trips to the emergency room. "Robots that help people connect with and maintain their relationships with others are becoming increasingly important," says Northeastern University Professor Timothy Bickmore, who is developing a digital assistant to help seniors cope with the final stages of life. University of Southern California Professor Maja Mataric also notes seniors lacking companionship tend to be receptive to having automated friends, which give them the illusion of a physical companion. "It isn't actually very hard to project empathy," she says. "Empathy is what you do, not what you feel." However, developers of digital companions and assistants stress that these devices are not designed to replace human interaction.