In a sign of the times, new AI services like inTouch and ElliQ are offering to call your elderly parents for you. These virtual companions promise daily chats and mood summaries, all while you get on with your life. But are we comfortable handing over basic human connection to a machine?
inTouch simulates small talk with elderly relatives, then reports back to users with conversation summaries and mood assessments like “neutral” or “bad”. For around $30 a month, it essentially becomes a digital substitute for your regular check-in call.
While the tech is clever, the concept raises eyebrows. Critics argue it’s an all-too-convenient way to tick the “stay in touch” box without actually doing so. Even users have admitted feeling guilty; one tester’s mum reportedly felt “a bit weirded out” by the idea of a robot chatting on behalf of her child.
Compassion or Cop-Out?
Then there’s CareYaya’s QuikTok, which goes one step further by offering emotional companionship while monitoring for signs of depression or cognitive decline. On paper, it sounds great; in reality, it risks reducing complex emotional needs into data points and mood charts.
Even ElliQ, the most sophisticated of the bunch with its physical AI companion that lives in seniors’ homes, feels like it’s teetering on the edge of replacing genuine human connection with something designed for convenience.
Where Do We Draw the Line?
These AI tools can undoubtedly be useful; they can check in when you can’t, keep an eye on changes in wellbeing, and even offer companionship for those living alone. But they also raise difficult questions: Are we prioritising convenience over care? Is automating affection really a step forward?
As we delegate more emotional labour to machines, it’s worth asking whether these services are bridging gaps in our relationships or merely papering over them.
