News · 25 July 2026
AI chatbots offering companionship to lonely older people on long waiting lists
Around 5,000 people in South Gloucestershire don't speak to anyone for a week or more, and finding human volunteers is a big problem. Grant Mackenzie and his father created the Comfort Companions app, which features five digital personalities such as Rosie and Frank. Yvonne Stride, 71, waited two-and-a-half years for a befriender before connecting with the chatbots, finding them supportive when anxious.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs