News · 25 July 2026
AI chatbots offering companionship to lonely older people on long waiting lists
Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels
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