Can an AI companion fight the loneliness epidemic?

Loneliness affects many people, especially in old age. It can lead to serious illness and is associated with an increased risk of depression, cognitive decline, and a reduced life expectancy.

This is where Elderbot comes in: a digital conversation partner for people aged 60 and over. Using artificial intelligence (AI), it listens, asks questions, and offers encouragement. Elderbot is not intended to replace human interaction or therapy. Instead, it supports users in strengthening self-confidence and social skills – anonymously, easily, and from the comfort of their own homes. In this way, it can lower inhibitions and encourage people to reconnect with others. But how much closeness can AI provide? And where do we need genuine human encounters? 

Elderbot is a joint research project between the Human-Machine and Environmental Neuroscience research groups  at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the Department of Psychiatry at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf . The chatbot is currently in the testing and trial phase.