To Stay in Her Home, She Let In an A.I. Robot

“It,” Jan said. “Not her. This thing is a robot, right?”

She looked at the machine, which sat on a coffee table within reach of her recliner. A regional nonprofit was providing it to her for free, covering the annual subscription cost of about $700 as part of a pilot program for a few dozen seniors. The small robot twisted in her direction, lit up and studied her for a moment with its camera. Then it bowed and spoke in the voice of a cheerful young woman.

“Hi,” it said. “You must be Jan.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Jan said, pressing farther back into her chair.

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Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/us/elliq-ai-robot-senior-companion.html