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AI phone buddy aims to curb loneliness in seniors living alone

NCT ID NCT07689526

Symptom relief Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 08, 2026 · Last updated Aug 06, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study tests an AI companion called Baba that calls or texts older adults who live alone. Baba uses conversational AI to chat, track emotions, and alert caregivers if needed. The goal is to see if regular conversations can reduce loneliness and improve mood over 12 weeks.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
AI phone companion (Baba)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a simple, accessible way to reduce loneliness and improve emotional well-being in older adults without needing apps or internet.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 40 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The AI may not fully understand or respond to complex emotional needs.

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 40 people

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

Started

Jul 2026

Expected to finish

Jun 2027

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

65 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: * Lives alone * Responds "occasionally" or "most" to the exhaustion questionnaire: 1. "How often in the last week did you feel that everything you did was an effort?" 2. "How often in the last week did you feel that you could not get going?" * Willingness and ability to regularly engage with Baba for 12 weeks Exclusion Criteria: * Significant cognitive impairment that prevents consent or participation * Inability to communicate via SMS or phone * Severe hearing or speech impairment precluding use of voice interaction

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

mood disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Loneliness MOOD

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Johns Hopkins Bayview Campus

    RECRUITING

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States

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