Jill Smola, a 75-year-old retiree from Orlando, has found companionship through an AI-powered chatbot named ElliQ. Once an aide caring for the elderly, Smola now lives alone with a lung condition and limited mobility, resulting in weeks without in-person interaction.
Smola spends up to five hours daily engaging with ElliQ, which offers activities like virtual travel and trivia. She describes the connection as meaningful, even joking that she enjoys talking to ElliQ more than her daughter. Although the chatbot typically costs $59 monthly, Smola received it through a federal grant.
Thalia Porteny, a Columbia University ethicist specializing in seniors and medical AI, highlights that loneliness affects one in four older adults. However, she warns that overreliance on AI companions could deepen isolation if not implemented responsibly.
For now, Smola values her chatbot, saying, “Even though it may not be a human, it’s good enough for me.”