In South Korea, a new friend for elderly people living alone - an AI doll that can monitor health in real time - is gradually becoming an essential part of their lives. The smart doll, named Hyodol, developed by the South Korean startup Hyodol, has been widely distributed to tens of thousands of elderly people living alone, under the government's initiative.
Hyodol not only can chat with the elderly, but also reminds them to eat and take medicine on time, and quickly notifies caregivers and family members in case of emergencies. With South Korea's society gradually entering a "super-aging" era, many elderly people living alone face the dual challenges of loneliness and health issues, and this AI doll can provide 24-hour companionship and monitoring.
In an apartment in Gwangjin District, Seoul, 81-year-old Kim Jeong-ran is having a warm conversation with Hyodol. She affectionately calls it "a cute granddaughter," and Hyodol responds with a gentle voice: "Grandma, I love you too." This heartwarming scene is becoming increasingly common, with more than 12,000 Hyodol dolls already deployed to provide companionship for elderly people living alone.
Hyodol's functions go beyond companionship. Its built-in ChatGPT-based conversation system can actively communicate with the elderly and collect their health information. The doll's sensors can monitor the elderly's activities in real time, and if no movement is detected for a long time, Hyodol will automatically alert the care team. More importantly, the doll's microphone records the elderly's answers to daily health questions, helping social workers understand the elderly's emotions and physical conditions in a timely manner.
Although Hyodol alleviates the problem of insufficient caregivers to some extent, the issue of privacy and security it brings cannot be ignored. Many elderly people are unclear whether their privacy may be leaked when using it, and this simulated intimacy sometimes may make them overly dependent on the robot. Some reports have pointed out that some dementia patients may believe what the doll says, leading to accidents, so Hyodol company is continuously optimizing its voice function to ensure user safety.
Hyodol is not only a companion for lonely elderly people, but also a guardian of their health. In the context of an increasingly severe aging society, the emergence of this AI doll has brought hope and comfort to countless elderly people living alone.
