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Can an AI companion make older adults feel less alone?

NCT ID NCT07822828

Symptom relief Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 16, 2026 · Last updated Sep 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers in Hong Kong are testing whether a smartphone app with three Cantonese-speaking conversational companions can ease loneliness in adults aged 60 and older. Seventy-two participants who report at least moderate loneliness use the app for four weeks, then continue with access for another four weeks. Both groups get the same app and tools, but one version generates replies with a large language model while the other uses pre-written templates. The main question is whether any change in emotional loneliness runs through how understood, validated, and cared for participants feel during conversations.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
A smartphone app with three Cantonese-language conversational companions, where replies come from a large language model
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a scalable way to ease loneliness in older adults using everyday smartphones. It could also clarify whether feeling understood during a conversation is the key ingredient.
What could go wrong
The trial is small, with 72 participants, and runs for only four weeks of app use plus four weeks of follow-up. Any benefit may fade, may not appear at all, or may not carry over to people outside Hong Kong or to those who do not speak Cantonese.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 72 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

60 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 60 years or above * Self-identified Cantonese as primary language of communication * Community-dwelling in Hong Kong (not in residential care) * De Jong Gierveld Emotional and Social Loneliness Scale total score of 2 or above at screening, indicating at least moderate loneliness * Owns a smartphone, or willing to use a study-provided device * Able to demonstrate understanding of the study using the teach-back method * Willing to provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Acute suicidality, defined as a PHQ-9 item 9 score above 1 with reported active intent * Currently receiving formal psychiatric treatment * Severe hearing or visual impairment precluding application use even with accommodation * Self-reported diagnosis of dementia or significant cognitive impairment * Unable to demonstrate understanding of the study using the teach-back method * Prior participation in the feasibility phase of this research programme

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Social Isolation

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Loneliness Social isolation Social isolation in older adults

How to take part

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  1. The official record

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