Pilot Launch of 24-Hour AI Speaker Care Service
Mayor Lee Eungwoo: "We Will Build a Safe City for Single-Person Households"
The city of Gyeryong in South Chungcheong Province is set to fully implement a smart care service utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to prevent solitary deaths among middle-aged and older single-person households.
On June 11, the city announced that, in response to the growing social issue of solitary deaths, it will conduct a pilot program for a 24-hour care service using the latest AI speakers, targeting 10 households.
The AI speaker can recognize the voice command "Help me" to detect emergencies and immediately send a distress signal to the control center. The control center then relays a real-time rescue request to 119, enabling a rapid response within the golden hour.
The speaker also offers daily communication features, including emotional conversation as a companion, news, music, and radio services, as well as medication reminders. These functions are expected to provide psychological comfort to middle-aged and older adults experiencing social isolation.
Mayor Lee Eungwoo stated, "As the number of middle-aged and older single-person households rapidly increases and family bonds weaken, the risk of solitary deaths is also rising. We will do our utmost to establish a safety care system utilizing AI technology to provide better care services for citizens in need of social support."
Meanwhile, in addition to the AI speaker initiative, Gyeryong is also promoting various customized welfare policies for the middle-aged and older population, such as the 'AI Well-being Check Service' and the 'Solitary Death Prevention Dairy Sharing' program.
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