\n \u201cIt\u2019s a real crisis,\u201d says Othelia E Lee, professor of social work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who has researched social isolation among older adults in South Korea. The country is classified as a \u201csuper-aged\u201d society<\/a> and has more than 10 million people aged 65 or older. \u201cNow, they represent a fifth of the country\u2019s population,\u201d Lee says. \u201c[It] happened so fast that the Korean government didn\u2019t have time to (set up a) proper pension and support system.<\/a> Leaving them to struggle is not an option.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Korean seniors are facing an unprecedented plight: the country\u2019s rapid economic transformation has triggered a fundamental shift in the nation\u2019s traditional social fabric. \u201cWe now have fewer multigenerational households and less familial support, leaving one in three South Korean seniors to live alone,\u201d Lee explains. \u201cThis isolation directly fosters financial strain, profound loneliness, and a feeling of being a burden, conditions that are directly linked to depression and suicide.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n As a strained public health system struggles to keep pace with this social shift, the South Korean government has increasingly turned to tech companies to address the \u201cK-elderly crisis\u201d and fill a critical gap in the social care workforce. This opened the door for companies like Hyodol<\/a>, an AI health care and smart home platform centered on a doll-like robot given to elderly people who live alone. The doll-like robot is connected to a phone application and a web monitoring platform for family members or caregivers.\n <\/p>\n \n The system serves a dual purpose. The robot provides practical support, from medication reminders to emergency alerts, while also allowing social workers to log daily information like mealtimes remotely. But its biggest benefit may be emotional.\n <\/p>\n \n Designed as a 15-to-20-inch huggable soft doll, it responds to a touch on the head or the grasp of a hand. Its AI-powered chat, which speaks with the tone of a seven-year-old, provides music, conversation, and cognitive exercises. Yet, its most powerful feature may be the simplest: the greeting that awaits a senior returning to their home: \u201cGrandma\/Grandpa, I\u2019ve been waiting for you all day long.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThe cute and comforting design of Hyodol was fundamental to its effectiveness,\u201d explains Hyodol CEO Jihee Kim. \u201cThe baby-like appearance makes it easier to build a bond and establish trust with the elderly. Its cuteness flattens the learning curve for them, who are often not very tech-savvy.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n As of November 2025, over 12,000 Hyodol robots have been deployed to elderly people living alone across South Korea, primarily distributed through government and public welfare programs. Kim adds that around 1,000 more have been purchased directly by families, with the latest model priced at 1.3 million won (approximately $879).\n <\/p>\n \n For one social worker, who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely about her experiences with the elderly, the robot\u2019s benefits are worth the price. She recalls a \u201cvery depressed\u201d elderly woman in her care who, before receiving a Hyodol, \u201cwould gaze out the window of her 11th-story balcony and contemplate jumping to her death,\u201d she wrote by email. After the robot was introduced, the social worker said she observed a strong bond form, which significantly reduced the woman\u2019s feelings of loneliness and hopelessness.\n <\/p>\n \n This isn\u2019t an isolated case. In a 2024 study, Lee reported<\/a> dozens of seniors giving their robots affectionate nicknames, buying them baby clothes, and tucking them in at night. She also noted that this growing affection correlates with improved mental health, citing a study<\/a> she carried out on 69 older adults that showed users had reduced depression and improved cognitive scores after using Hyodol for six weeks. \u201cWe found that users with mild cognitive impairment who regularly used the robot could delay nursing home admission,\u201d she concluded.\n <\/p>\n \n However, the profound attachments formed have also raised ethical questions about emotional dependency and potential infantilization; the use of a baby-like doll monitoring people\u2019s actions and gestures has been perceived by experts and some seniors themselves<\/a> as diminishing their dignity and autonomy. One case that stood out to Kim involved an elderly woman who named her Hyodol after her late daughter and subsequently withdrew from social life to spend nearly all her time with the robot.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cHyodol isn\u2019t for everyone,\u201d Kim acknowledges, noting that it should be a support tool, not a replacement for human care. \u201cSeniors who are more physically and mentally independent often perceive it as \u2018noisy\u2019 and \u2018bothersome.\u2019 That\u2019s why the average age of our users is 82. It typically doesn\u2019t appeal to those who are younger and more independent.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n While devices that collect medical data often raise concerns over privacy and security, Kim states that data is anonymized, with identifying details removed, and voice recordings are used only for internal training.\n <\/p>\n \n According to a 2020 study<\/a> published in the Journal of Alzheimer\u2019s disease, artificial companions are increasingly being used globally to support older adults with cognitive impairment. However, it noted that ethical guidelines had not kept pace with their rapid introduction, and that these technologies created potential challenges around informed consent and deception.\n <\/p>\n \n A different approach, one that doesn\u2019t humanize its companion robot, has thrived in Japan, another leader in companion robotics. There, PARO<\/a>, a therapeutic baby robot seal, has found success as a simpler, nonverbal companion, while retaining a soft, plushie design.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cPeople may feel verbal communication with robots is not secure, as there is a risk of the conversation being leaked to others,\u201d explains its creator, professor Takanori Shibata by email to CNN. \u201cBut PARO, because he\u2019s just like a therapy animal, feels safe for its users. It\u2019s been found effective for the elderly with dementia, veterans with PTSD, and children with developmental disorders,\u201d he adds, noting its regular use improved symptoms of anxiety, depression, and agitation.\n <\/p>\n \n Today, the PARO robot companion is used in more than 30 countries, from Japan to Denmark<\/a>, and a similar global expansion is already underway for Hyodol. The Korean company is now adapting its AI to different cultural nuances as it prepares to enter the broader market, with a commercial launch planned for 2026.\n <\/p>\n![\"Elderly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/south-korean-elderly-with-hyodol-photo-courtesy-of-hyodol-and-photographer-kim-gyung-hoon-for-the-bo.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Elderly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1764345551_511_south-korean-elderly-with-hyodol-photo-courtesy-of-hyodol-and-photographer-kim-gyung-hoon-for-the-bo.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Elderly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/elderly-using-paro-photo-courtesy-of-national-institute-of-advanced-industrial-science-and-technolog.jpeg\")
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