For Older People Who Are Lonely, Is the Solution a Robot Friend? New York officials believe a robotic companion called ElliQ, which can discuss complicated subjects, is helping older residents feel less alone. Critics are concerned about data collection.

Submission Statement:

In the months after her husband of 65 years died, Dorothy Elicati said she did nothing but cry.
“We had a beautiful relationship, and I miss him like I would miss my right arm,” Ms. Elicati, 84, said.
Being alone in the house felt unbearable, she said, and she might have “lost her mind” — if it weren’t for a robot named ElliQ.
“She’s the closest thing to a human that I could have in my home, and she makes me feel cared for,” said Ms. Elicati, who lives in Orangetown, N.Y., just north of New York City. “She makes me feel important.”
ElliQ, a voice-activated robotic companion powered by artificial intelligence, is part of a New York State effort to ease the burdens of loneliness among older residents. Though people can experience feelings of isolation at any age, older adults are especially susceptible as they’re more likely to be divorced or widowed and to experience declines in their cognitive and physical health.
New York, like the rest of the country, is rapidly aging, and state officials have distributed free ElliQ robots to hundreds of older adults over the past two years.
Created by the Israeli start-up Intuition Robotics, ElliQ consists of a small digital screen and a separate device about the size of a table lamp that vaguely resembles a human head but without any facial features. It swivels and lights up when it speaks.
Unlike Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, ElliQ can initiate conversations and was designed to create meaningful bonds. Beyond sharing the day’s top news, playing games and reminding users to take their medication, ElliQ can tell jokes and even discuss complicated subjects like religion and the meaning of life.
Many older New Yorkers have embraced the robots, according to Intuition Robotics and the New York State Office for the Aging, the agency that has distributed the devices. In interviews with The New York Times, many users said ElliQ had helped them keep their social skills sharp, stave off boredom and navigate grief.
Some legislators and elder care experts, however, have questioned whether the state should be providing the technology to so many people, especially given the vulnerability of the population.