In Daejeon, an artificial intelligence (AI) care robot at home reported a person in their 70s in crisis due to depression, enabling them to receive hospital treatment.
According to Daejeon City on the 13th, around 2 a.m. on the 6th, a person surnamed A in their 70s was conversing with the 'AI care robot Dreaming' when they repeatedly expressed thoughts of wanting to end their own life. Person A also called for help, saying, 'Save me.'
The care robot that detected this immediately notified the monitoring system, and the company requested the local police station to dispatch to the scene. The dispatched police contacted person A's family and took measures to ensure they could receive hospital treatment.
Person A was reported to have suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Since the beginning of this year, Daejeon City has been operating 1,000 'AI care robots Dreaming' to detect early signs of crisis, such as depression, among elderly individuals living alone.
Kim Jong-min, head of the Daejeon Welfare Bureau, noted that 'AI technology has advanced to the stage of protecting lives beyond simple well-being checks' and said, 'We will strive to create a more precise and people-centered smart care system.'