Elsy

How do you choose an AI app you can trust?

By The Elsy teamPublished

Look at four things: a company you can identify, plain information about your data, a price with no surprises, and a design that suits you. An app made for what you need is usually a better fit than one that tries to do everything. This guide goes through what to check, point by point.

There are more and more AI apps, and in the ads they all look much the same. But they differ a lot in who's behind them, what they do with your information and what they actually cost. Here are four things to check before you choose.

1. Do you know who makes it?

If you're going to talk to an app every day, it should come from a company you can find and contact. Check:

  • Does the app's website give a company name and a way to get in touch?
  • Can you see which country the company is based in? Companies in the EU and the UK, for example, have to follow strict data protection rules.
  • Is there a real support address where a person replies?

If it's hard to find out who's behind an app, that tells you something.

2. What happens to your data?

You don't have to read the whole privacy policy. Look for three things:

  • Is your information sold or shared with others? "Free" often means you pay with information about yourself.
  • Can you have your data deleted? In many places it's your legal right, and a reputable app makes it easy.
  • Does the app ask before it tracks you? Agreeing should be an active choice, not a box that's already checked.

3. Is the price clear?

Before you buy, you should be able to see the monthly price, how long you're committed for and how to cancel. In practice:

  • A free trial should have a clear end date and a clear price afterward. Otherwise it's a subscription trap. As the US Federal Trade Commission warns, if you don't cancel in time, you'll probably be charged.
  • It should be easy to cancel.
  • Deleting an app doesn't cancel the subscription. You have to cancel it yourself first.
  • If you buy through Google Play, you can ask for a refund within 48 hours of the purchase. On the App Store, you can request a refund at reportaproblem.apple.com. Either way, whether you get your money back depends on the purchase.

4. Does it suit you?

Finally, the question the ads rarely answer: who is the app actually made for?

  • Big, general-purpose AI chatbots can answer anything, but they're made for people who are used to screens and keyboards.
  • Apps made for older adults usually put voice before typing, with large buttons and features like medicine reminders and staying in touch with family.

Try the app before you decide. Ask it ten questions from your own daily life and see how it feels. Does it understand you? Are the answers useful? Is it pleasant to talk to, or hard work?

The most important thing

You can put everything above on a checklist. The last part you can't:

“But it also has to be someone you trust. And you're happy with the answers you get, because they're real answers.”

Helge, 72, talks with Elsy (translated from Danish)

Trust comes from using an app, not from its advertising. Choose an app that's open about how it works, try it at your own pace, and keep only the one you actually enjoy talking to.

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

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About the author

The Elsy team, writing about everyday life, memory and dementia care

Elsy makes an AI companion for older adults and the families who support them. We write from our daily work with older members and their families, and we cite sources for every factual claim.

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