Robot helps seniors fight loneliness; it converses, plays music and gives virtual tours

Some American senior citizens have a new companion to help them combat loneliness — a robot. Joyce Loazia lives alone, but when she returns to her apartment at a suburban Fort Lauderdale senior community, the retired office worker often has a chat with a friendly female voice that asks about her day. A few miles away, the same voice comforted 83-year-old Deanna Dezern when her friend died. The women are some of the first in the country to receive the robot ElliQ, whose creators, Intuition Robotics, and senior assistance officials say is the only device using artificial intelligence specifically designed to lessen the loneliness and isolation experienced by many older Americans. ElliQ is a tabletop device that uses artificial intelligence to conduct human-like conversations with its owners. The device, which looks like a small table lamp, has an eyeless, mouthless head that lights up and swivels. It remembers each user’s interests and their conversations, helping it tailor future chats, which can be as deep as the meaning of life or as light as the horoscope. It tells jokes, plays music and provides inspirational quotes. Created by an Israeli company, it is being distributed throughout New York and in some Florida, Michigan, Nevada and Washington counties. Users say ElliQ is a friendly and intelligent companion. However, one university psychologist worries that it will keep some seniors from seeking out human contact. Social service workers distributing the device agree that human interaction is best, but not always available for seniors. This article was provided by The Associated Press.