Korea give robots to lonely old people

In South Korea, thousands of lonely elderly people have received a new companion — a doll with artificial intelligence called Hyodol. The device can talk, remind people to take medications, monitor their health, and call for help in emergency situations. In a video shown by local media, 81-year-old Kim sits on a bed next to the robot and says, “Hyodol, I love you,” and the doll’s soft voice replies, “Grandma, I love you too.”

The Hyodol robot speaks in a friendly voice and supports emotional dialogues. It reminds people to take food and medications, records alarm signals, such as lack of movement for 24 hours, and in this case automatically transmits a signal to social services. In addition, the device records answers to questions about how you feel every day to track your owner’s emotional state.

The country’s authorities have already distributed more than 12 thousand such devices to lonely elderly people. The cost of one doll is approximately 160 million Korean won, which is equivalent to about 120 thousand US dollars, and at the same time significantly cheaper than the annual salary of a caregiver. In 2023, South Korea recorded a shortage of 190 thousand caregivers, by 2032 this figure could reach 1.55 million.

The situation is complicated by the demographic crisis: the birth rate in the country remains one of the lowest in the world – only 0.72 children per woman with a coefficient of 2.1 required to maintain the population. Already now, the population is decreasing by more than 200 thousand people annually, and in the future, the number of elderly people will significantly exceed the number of young people.

Similar projects exist in other countries. In Japan, a therapeutic robot seal Paro is used, in the USA, elderly people communicate with the ElliQ lamp, and in Singapore, a robot Dexie is working, which can play, sing and engage with people. The idea of ​​an artificial companion goes back to the past: for example, the Japanese toy Tamagotchi was once also an answer to the problem of loneliness, and its loss caused strong emotional experiences in its owners.

The use of such technologies also raises ethical issues. Some elderly people become so attached to robots that they express a desire to be buried with them. There are known cases when Hyodol recorded suicidal thoughts and transmitted information to specialists. At the same time, cybersecurity experts warn about the risks of data leakage, because the device records personal conversations and transmits them to remote servers.

The name Hyodol is associated with the concept of “孝道”, which reflects the traditional Korean value of respect and care for elders. Thus, the project combines modern technologies and cultural heritage, turning the robot not just into a gadget, but into an element of social support.