Gyeonggi Province will significantly expand its artificial intelligence (AI) companionship service for the elderly from 1,000 people last year to 5,000 people this year.
The AI companionship service for the elderly is designed to prevent blind spots in elderly care. It provides a weekly 3-minute AI phone call at a set time to seniors aged 65 or older residing in the province who require welfare check-ins.
If the call is not answered three or more times, staff from the Gyeonggi Social Service Center will attempt to contact the individual on the same day. If this call is also unanswered, the local town or township office will verify and conduct a direct visit. Additionally, if during the AI call the senior expresses emotional or economic difficulties such as "life is hard" or "I feel lonely," or if signs of crisis are detected, a phone counseling session is conducted. If necessary, the service connects the individual to the Gyeonggi Emergency Welfare Hotline for specialized counseling.
Since June last year, Gyeonggi Province has been providing the AI companionship service to 1,061 seniors. Over a total of 29 weeks, weekly welfare check calls were made, amounting to 23,852 calls. Among these, 31 cases of abnormal signs were detected and linked to local town or township offices or the Gyeonggi Emergency Welfare Hotline.
The service will start on April 1 this year. Applications for the service have been accepted since the 11th of last month. Applications can be submitted at any time until the end of the year. Priority support is given to elderly people living alone according to the resident registration, those not currently using existing care services, economically vulnerable seniors such as basic livelihood security recipients or near-poverty groups, and seniors referred by market or county heads.
Those wishing to use the service can apply by visiting their local town or township administrative welfare center in person with their ID card and completing a personal information consent form.
Lee Eun-sook, Director of the Elderly Welfare Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The AI companionship service for the elderly, first implemented last year, has proven effective in addressing isolation and preventing crises among seniors in the province. We hope that linking this service with other care programs operated by Gyeonggi Province, such as the 'Anyone Care' program, will enhance satisfaction with care services."
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