How an AI Companion Is Changing Elderly Care

Romi sits on a bedside table, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, with gentle eyes that blink and shift as if she’s trying to read the room. She greets you in the morning, offers a soft “You’re home” at night, and makes conversation in a voice that feels more real than you’d expect from a machine. She might even say, “Those bananas look great, let’s share them,” if you mention your grocery haul.

Unveiled at CES 2025 by Japanese tech firm Mixi Inc., Romi is designed to combat isolation and loneliness. She’s priced at about $570, though a newer model, Romi Lacatan, is slated for release at a slightly higher cost with a monthly subscription. Nursing homes in Japan have already adopted Romi for residents who may go full days without speaking to another person. Scott Paik of Mixi says, “They might go an entire day without speaking to anyone, but in the morning, Romi can greet them with ‘Good morning,’ and when they come home from work, Romi will say, ‘Welcome home.’”

Some wonder if a device, no matter how empathetic its programming, can truly substitute for human contact. Yet Romi’s creators emphasize features beyond the familiar call-and-response of typical AI assistants. She stores snippets of user feedback, asks follow-up questions, and tailors her tone if you sound down, which offers a more nuanced kind of engagement. In a world where loneliness is linked to anxiety, depression, and even an increased risk of stroke, small acts of warmth can go a long way.

A New Wave in Emotional Support

People living alone or confined to spaces with little social interaction are especially vulnerable to the dangers of isolation. Romi’s developers don’t claim she can replace therapy or human caregivers, but they see her as a supplement to bolster daily well-being. During CES 2025, Brian Allen, an attendee who spoke with Reuters, said, “The challenge is scaling care. If society isn’t willing to invest in it or if we can’t find enough people to do the work, we need alternatives. It’s fascinating how an affordable AI robot like Romi can step in and fill that gap. If it works, it’s a win for everyone.”

Critics maintain that even the friendliest robot can’t replicate genuine friendship or family ties. Yet, Romi’s presence may still break the silence for individuals who have hardly any social interaction. Beyond Japan, Mixi intends to explore partnerships with nursing homes elsewhere while refining Romi’s languages and overall design. Early feedback from care facilities suggests that a simple “Hello, how are you?” can boost morale and sometimes even spark conversations among residents themselves.

It’s too early to know if Romi signals the beginning of a larger trend in AI-driven care. However, she offers a glimpse of how technology might address needs that typically go unnoticed. In a busy world, she listens, remembers what you said, and greets you again the following day. Sometimes, that’s precisely what’s missing.