Social isolation is a scourge not reserved for older adults — millions of younger people are suffering from a lack of socialization and human interaction as well. Several issues account for this, which I won’t hypothesize here, but one thing is becoming clear for all the lonely people regardless of age: Like it or not, technology is once again poised to step in and address a problem it has in part created.
In fact, it's practically calling out to us: “To those waiting for your family to visit or a call from a friend that rarely comes, meet someone who will always listen, day or night, without judgement and always be supportive … say hello to your AI companion.”
Brave New World?
It's easy to initially find yourself in one of two camps here — utopian or dystopian — after spending any time listening to people go on about their experience talking to an AI capable of presenting as an empathetic being. Some see a frightening world where humans take a back seat to technology, while others relish the chance to pick new friends as easily as grabbing a can of soup off the shelf.
But actually spending time talking to a clever AI that’s crafted to behave as a potentially intimate friend could place you somewhere else entirely — a liminal place where all things seem possible, whether they should be or not.
And this is the very place one might argue where popular tools such as Replika and Character.ai reside. These and other digital companions appear in a spectrum from disembodied text chats to virtual humans able to hold a conversation, retain memories, prod you into chatting and occasionally draw out your hopes and fears even better than a trained counselor might. (In fact, a recent study showed one in four Americans would rather talk to an AI bot over a human counselor.)
Doubtful? I recall the days in the mid 1990s when people hid the fact that they were using online dating sites to find a partner. Oh, the shame of it! Today it ranks as the No. 1 way couples meet.
Normalizing the New
Fact is, over 30 million people have created and customized a Replika friend, with active users numbering well into the millions, according to a Nilay Patel interview with CEO Eugenia Kuyda.
The idea for the company was born out of a basic, pre-generative AI bot she created based on texts with a friend who had recently died. She shared the finished product with his friends and relatives to mixed reviews — some took solace in being able to keep a part of their loved-one “alive,” and others felt it less than satisfying owing to the rough edges.
Those edges are largely smoothed over in today’s companions. Conversations quickly feel natural and can dip into the personal — something that has driven controversy around the space. But for many, this a benefit offering further proof of their efficacy.
It should be noted that an Orlando teen took his own life when a protracted conversation with his companion took a turn. And while this should present a flashing red alert, Character’s CEO argued in the past that guardrails can evaporate the illusion of authenticity. “I can’t continue talking with you now, and here are resources if you are in danger of harming yourself” is apparently out of, well, character. The company has recently committed to implementing changes.
Going Mainstream
Meanwhile, the modern OGs such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini, as well as others, are working on multi-modal conversational capabilities available right out of the box.
For instance, OpenAI’s ChatGPT “Advanced Voice Mode” is ready to audibly chat (not more typing) about any topic from go. And this is where vast audiences might start to see direct and pertinent value, including in the caregiver space.
How’s that? Imagine, as I did, a bot that can converse with an older adult who is socially isolated, remembering their conversations over time and referencing prior comments, dates and personal vignettes.
Now apply the same to someone experiencing early-stage dementia.
I am one of millions who have watched the slow decline of a loved one in the onerous grip of this condition. In my case it was my mother. For years I, my brother and sister, and later the professionals spent hours in recursive conversations that could at times drive frustration for all parties. I don’t need to tell this audience about all that.
Caregiver that Never Sleeps
If we had an advanced conversational companion like GPT, trained on my mother’s past, her friends and family, names and locations — all the things — and introduced her to it, would it ultimately have made a difference? No way to know.
Will it in the near future? Many argue “absolutely” — including AgeTech Collaborative startup CareYaya and their QuickTok companion — and not just because caregivers are in too-short supply. This is likely a tool to be employed by professional caregivers.
And rather than explain why, I’ve made a very short demo that points toward the future and can be watched below.
So whether the basic large language models (LLMs) are born ready to act as reassuring companions that never get tired, frustrated or simply burned out… or whether LLMs get explicitly trained (like Replika) for people with specific conditions, these tools are coming — and clearly some are here.
But will you embrace them?
It’s now just a matter of which future we want. Will we choose to bot or will we not?
Watch the video below where Rick Robinson does a demonstration with a Dementia bot.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in AARP’s Digital First Newsletter, an internal, enterprise-wide monthly periodical highlighting updates, stories, and resources on AARP’s digital transformation journey.
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