Companion Robot ElliQ Aims to Fight Loneliness Among Seniors, But Some Worry It May Discourage Human Contact
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ElliQ is a lamp-like robot that provides companionship and fights loneliness for seniors through conversations tailored to their interests.
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It's distributed to seniors in various states by assistance agencies and can also be purchased individually.
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ElliQ tells jokes, provides inspiration, leads exercises, reminds people to take medications, etc. to keep users engaged.
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Some experts worry relying on AI for companionship could discourage seniors from seeking human contact.
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Most ElliQ users interact with it extensively and report lower loneliness, though some say it can be too chatty at times.