[ExI] AI robot dolls charm their way into nursing the elderly

[BillK]

ChatGPT-powered robotic seven-year-olds are taking over some work from
caregivers, to the delight of seniors who treat them like grandchildren.
By Michelle Kim  27 August 2025 • Seoul, South Korea

<https://restofworld.org/2025/korea-ai-robot-senior-care-hyodol/>
Quotes:
South Korea has handed out AI companionship robots to seniors living alone.
Eldercare workers say the robots act as their eyes and ears, easing
their mind about clients in the days between visits.
Older adults form strong bonds with the bots, which occasionally
becomes problematic.

Designed and built by the South Korean startup Hyodol, the eponymous
robot is named after the Confucian value of caring for elders, which
is deeply embedded in Korean culture. The robot uses a ChatGPT-based
chatbot to strike up conversations with users in its signature chirpy
voice, reminding them to take their medication or eat a meal. Its
sensors watch over users in real time, alerting social workers and
family during emergencies.

Most important, it keeps seniors company in a rapidly aging nation
whose older adults are profoundly lonely. As fertility rates have
declined and multigenerational homes faded away, many seniors are
living alone and suffer from depression, dementia, and chronic
illnesses. Suicide rates in this cohort are the highest among the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development nations.

Social workers like Ryu are creating a “robotic multi-care network,”
Heesun Shin, a graduate student at Korea Advanced Institute of Science
and Technology, told Rest of World.

“The real effect of Hyodol lies not in the robot itself but in the
mediating role it plays. The robots are a central node that connects
people,” she said.
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This sounds like a marvelous project, enhancing the lives of an ageing
population.
BillK