Although many physical robots aimed at senior living spaces are being adopted to combat loneliness, one new artificial intelligence tool will exist within older adults’ television screens.
AgeTech company Onscreen released a new generative-AI “friend, confidant and companion” named Joy that will interact with users via a screen, the company announced.
Joy will be available on Onscreen’s video platform 24/7 and is designed to help older adults with loneliness. It also assists with care coordination and physical health, the company said.
“We believe in the limitless potential of Joy, and this is just the beginning,” Onscreen CEO Costin Tuculescu said in a statement. “We envision a future where Joy is in millions of homes, a virtual companion and caregiver designed specifically to help with age-related issues and help all of us age gracefully.”
Joy can take the form of several customizable personas, including a young female caregiver or a talking teddy bear, according to a video demonstration of the tech.
Other innovations include the ability for Joy to remember past conversations, interpret accents and engage with users on a variety of topics, the company stated.
Over the past few years, many long-term care providers have started using AI to tackle loneliness or isolation among residents. One assisted living site in Phoenix recently conducted a pilot program with an Alexa-enabled alarm system that doubled as a social and entertainment tool to engage residents with jokes and trivia.
Onscreeen was founded in 2020 as a video calling platform, which became an essential lifeline between older adults and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tech also is designed to allow caregivers at senior living communities to check in with residents or to facilitate telemedicine visits.
