WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi and Dor Skuler, CEO and co-founder of Intuition Robotics, discuss the future of aged care and AI’s role in it.
Our discussion centres around ElliQ, Intuition Robotics’ AI-driven companion that demonstrates the transformative potential of AI in elderly care. The proactive device aims to improve the lives of older adults with a focus on health and wellness, offering support from medication reminders to teaching a new slang word.
We also talk about the rise of humanoid robots and how ElliQ is targeting the ethical concerns of human-robot interaction while redefining elderly companionship by fostering meaningful connections with those navigating the challenges of isolation and solitude.
A solution for happier ageing
“My daughter once asked me, ‘Dad, is it important, what you’re doing, that you’re never home?’ That sentence wouldn’t leave my mind and eventually I had to admit to myself that while I can spin it, that what I’m doing is important, it isn’t going to leave the world significantly better. And I promised myself that my next company, succeed or fail, will attempt to solve one of humanity’s largest issues.”
The personalised AI assistant
“ElliQ is the world’s first AI companion. She’s not a chatbot, she has a physical instantiation and it’s the first product where AI moves in with you and builds a long-term relationship with you in a way that’s empathetic, builds trust. Her only goal is to help you live a better, healthier, happier life.”
Ethics of AI companions
“I think they’re missing the human aspect. We made sure ElliQ is transparently an AI. She never ever pretends to be human. Why would we want to confuse people to think that she’s real? Why is that a good thing for anybody? So we go out of our way, in her name, her design, her character and her dialogue to always remind the user she’s not real.”
– Dor Skuler, CEO and co-founder, Intuition Robotics
Head to Apple or Spotify to hear the full discussion on our Lives of Tomorrow podcast episode, Ending Loneliness for the Elderly with AI.