As the last days of summer set, one is wistful of the time spent with loved ones sitting on the beach, traveling on the road, or just sharing a refreshing ice cream cone. However, for many Americans such emotional connections are rare, leading to high suicide rates and physical illness. In a recent study by the Surgeon General, more than half of the adults in the USA experience loneliness, with only 39% reporting feeling "very connected to others." As Dr. Vivek H. Murthy states: "Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling--it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity."

What are the strongest days of the week? Saturday and Sunday, because the rest are weak (week)days. This "dad joke" and other conversational gems were delivered recently by a lauded AI-powered robot called ElliQ at the Ramat Gan headquarters of Intuition Robotics, an Israeli HRI (human–robot interaction) company that developed the machine as a robotic social companion for aging people. ElliQ was in testing and development for about five years before its commercial launch four months ago. The robot, named after a Norse goddess, was created to engage and interact with elderly people and keep them active and connected to the outside world as they age independently.

Juanita's friend always asks how she's feeling, wants to know if she slept well and tells jokes that are so funny, Juanita repeats them later at dinner. Oh, and Juanita's friend happens to be a robot. ElliQ is a proactive care companion that uses artificial intelligence to build relationships with seniors while supporting their health and well-being. Perhaps thought of as a more empathetic version of Amazon's Alexa, ElliQ has been featured by major outlets such as the "Today" show, USA Today, The New Yorker and AARP. Juanita, who appears in promotional videos for ElliQ, is one of the more than 1,000 older adults who have helped test ElliQ, which first became available for purchase in the U.S. in March.

Powered by AI, ElliQ is a voice-operated robotic care companion designed to foster independence and provide support for older adults. About 1 in 4 adults 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, putting them at increased risk for a wide range of health conditions, from dementia to heart disease and stroke. Many don't have family and friends who live nearby or visit regularly; and the number of professional caregivers is failing to keep up with demand as the U.S. population ages. Responding to the need, the New York State Office for the Aging announced Wednesday that it is partnering with Intuition Robotics to bring an AI robotic care companion into the homes of 800 older adults as part of the state's efforts to battle social isolation and support aging in place. NYSOFA is working with local offices for the aging and other partners to identify older adults who would most benefit from ElliQ by Intuition Robotics, which the Israeli company describes as first-ever proactive and empathetic AI robotic care companion.

Intuition Robotics announced today that it is expanding its mission of improving the lives of older adults to include enhancing their interactions with their physicians. The Israeli startup has developed the AI-based, award-winning proactive social robot ElliQ which has spent over 30,000 days in older adults' homes over the past two years. Now ElliQ will help increase patient engagement while offering primary care providers continuous actionable data and insights for early detection and intervention. The very big challenge Intuition Robotics set up to solve was to "understand how to create a relationship between a human and a machine," says co-founder and CEO Dor Skuler. Unlike a number of unsuccessful high-profile social robots (e.g., Pepper) that tried to perform multiple functions in multiple settings, ElliQ has focused exclusively on older adults living alone.

Israeli robotics startup Intuition Robotics has raised $36 million in a series B round of funding co-led by Sparx Group and OurCrowd, with participation from Samsung Next, Toyota AI Ventures, Bloomberg Beta, iRobot, Sompo Holdings, Union Tech Ventures, Happiness Capital, and Capital Point. Founded in 2015, Intuition Robotics is creating what it calls "social companion" robots and related technologies, with an initial focus on reducing loneliness and isolation in elderly people. The company's first product was a $1,500 robot called ElliQ that opened for preorders last January and has accumulated "over 10,000 days" in homes across the U.S., though the company hasn't revealed specific sales figures. The majority of ElliQ's users are between 80 and 90 years of age. ElliQ more closely resembles a desk lamp than a humanoid, and it sits on a small dock with a tablet screen and cameras.

The relationship between humans and robots is a tricky thing. If the latter looks too much like the former, but is still clearly a machine, people think it's creepy, even repulsive--a feeling that's become known as the "uncanny valley." Or, as is sometimes the case, the human, with "Star Wars" or "The Jetsons" as his or her reference points, is disappointed by all the things the robot can't yet do. Then, there is the matter of job insecurity--the fear of one day being replaced by a tireless, unflappable, unfailingly consistent device. Human-robot interactions can be even more complicated for one group in particular--older adults.

Humanoid robots are a familiar trope in popular culture, but is making machines look like us a little bit creepy and even potentially dangerous? Whether it is Isaac Asimov's robotics novels, 1980s movie character Johnny 5, Hollywood's Avengers: The Age of Ultron or Channel 4's sci-fi drama Humans, there has long been a fascination in popular culture with robots becoming sentient - beings that can experience feelings and human-like consciousness. But how realistic - and desirable - is the prospect of robots that become almost indistinguishable from humans? Dr Ben Goertzel, who developed the AI software for Sophia, a social humanoid robot made by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics, believes robots should look like humans to help "break down suspicions and reservations people might have" about interacting with them. "You will have humanoid robots because people like them," he tells the BBC.

Internet-connected robots that can stream audio and video are increasingly helping housebound sick children and elderly people keep in touch with teachers, family and friends, combating the scourge of isolation and loneliness. Zoe Johnson, 16, hasn't been to school since she was 12. She went to the doctor in 2014 "with a bit of a sore throat", and "somehow that became A&E [accident and emergency]," says her mother, Rachel Johnson. The doctors diagnosed myalgic encephalomyelitis, ME for short, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - a debilitating illness affecting the nervous and immune systems. Zoe missed a lot of school but was able to continue with her studies with the help of an online tutor.

Westworld is a hell of a show, but the sense of dread it elicits is nothing new. Pygmalion sculpted a woman who came to life. Same goes with the Golem, only with mud. The amalgamated Frankenstein jolted awake to get all murderous. Humans creating life in their own image is a cornerstone of the realm of fiction.