Are AI assistants designed for seniors really any different from Siri?

Yes. An AI assistant for seniors like Elsy is built around conversation and your everyday life: medicines, appointments, someone to talk to and your life stories. General assistants like Siri and Google Assistant are made for everyone. Siri can check the weather, set a reminder or make a call, for example. Which one suits you depends on what you need.

If you have an iPhone, Siri is already on it. So does an assistant made for older adults add anything? Here's where the real differences are.

What is an AI assistant for older adults?

An AI assistant for older adults, like Elsy, is made for the needs that come with this stage of life. That can mean medicine reminders, help organizing daily tasks and a way to have the stories of your life written down. Elsy talks with you in a personal way and can hold a natural conversation, which can make the technology easier to get into and help you stay independent. Say, for example, "Remind me every year on May 3, it's Lisa's birthday," and the reminder comes every year.

Why do these features matter?

Many older adults want help with daily tasks and errands. An AI assistant like Elsy can help you stay independent and keep in touch with your family.

The Lancet Commission, which brings together research on how dementia can be prevented, counts social isolation among 14 risk factors that can be changed. Among other things, it recommends taking part in physical, social and cognitive activities. That's about company and activity in general. Read more about what research says about preventing dementia.

Elsy does not prevent dementia, but a daily conversation can help keep your mind active.

What Siri and Google Assistant do

General AI assistants like Siri and Google Assistant are made for a wide range of uses. Apple writes that you can ask Siri for the weather, add a reminder or set an alarm, create a calendar event, and turn on the lights if you have smart home accessories. Google has announced that Gemini is replacing Google Assistant on most phones.

These assistants are good at general requests like the weather forecast or controlling smart home devices. Elsy, as an assistant for older adults, is built around conversation with you: she remembers what you tell her about your life and uses it the next time you talk. That kind of personal help can matter a lot if you have specific needs.

Pros and cons of general assistants

General assistants are handy for all sorts of tasks. Siri is already built into your iPhone, so there's no new app to download, and Siri can do things Elsy can't, like making calls, playing music or creating an appointment directly in your calendar (Elsy's reminders show up in your calendar when Sync with calendar is on, but she can't add a separate appointment). Elsy is built around something else: your own life, what you told her last week, your medicines and your stories.

Where Elsy fits in

Elsy is an AI companion who helps with things like your medicines and your life stories. When you tell her about your life, she writes the story down after the conversation, with your own words as quotes, and you can send it to your family whenever you like. See more about life stories with Elsy. Elsy is designed to be easy to use: you start a conversation with one tap on Talk to Elsy. She doesn't call you and doesn't start conversations on her own.

Time with other people matters a lot. In the UK, 940,000 people aged 65 and over are often lonely, according to Age UK, which says that with the right support, loneliness can become much less frequent and less intense. Elsy doesn't replace time with other people, but she can be good company when no one else is around.

What you get from an assistant made for older adults

An assistant like Elsy supports your daily activities. Features that adapt to you, and a design built around the person using it, can make it easier to manage more of the day yourself. Read about Elsy for daily routines.

Check what AI tells you

AI can make it easier to keep track of medicines and appointments and to stay in touch with your family. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre says AI has the potential to bring many benefits, but it also warns that AI tools can get things wrong and present incorrect statements as facts. So check important answers. And whichever AI you talk to, never share your Social Security or National Insurance number, bank details or passwords.

What to look for in an AI assistant

When you choose an AI assistant, look closely at what it can do. One made for older adults should help you manage your medicines, hold a personal conversation with you and handle your data safely.

Your data and privacy

When you talk with Elsy, your conversations are recorded and stored securely so Elsy can remember what you tell her, and your stored data is hosted in the EU. So that Elsy can hear you, answer and remember, what you say is processed by AI services in the United States. We never sell your personal data, and we don't use it to train general-purpose AI models. Your family never sees transcripts or recordings of your conversations, apart from the life stories you send them, which contain your own words and may include short excerpts of your voice. What else they can see depends on their level in Your circle, from Stories only up to Full trust, where they can also see what Elsy remembers about you. If a family member set Elsy up and gave consent on your behalf, everyone in your circle is at Full trust. Read more about Elsy and your family and in our privacy policy.

How to get started

Download Elsy from the App Store or Google Play, open the app and tap Talk to Elsy. That way you can see for yourself what an AI companion adds to your day. You can try Elsy free for 3 days on your own phone. See how Elsy works step by step.

Frequently asked questions

How can Elsy help me keep track of my medicines?

Elsy can remind you which medicines to take and when. Tell her, for example, "I take my cholesterol pill every evening at nine." When it's time, a notification arrives on your phone, and if you don't answer, the app asks again after about 5 and 15 minutes. That can help you stay on track with your medicines.

Is Elsy easy to use?

Yes. Elsy has a simple screen, and you talk with her by voice. If you can open an app and tap one button, the rest happens with your voice.

How does Elsy protect my privacy?

Your conversations are stored securely, your stored data is hosted in the EU, and we never sell your personal data. What you say is processed by AI services in the United States so Elsy can hear you and answer. Your family never sees transcripts or recordings of your conversations, apart from the life stories you send them, which contain your own words and may include short excerpts of your voice. What else they can see depends on their level in Your circle. At Stories only, they see the stories you send them, your name and your photo. At Full trust, it also includes an alert if a conversation suggests something might be wrong, how you're doing, your reminders and medicines, and what Elsy remembers about you.

This is general information, not medical advice. Every situation is different, so talk to a doctor about yours.