The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) has extended its partnership with Intuition Robotics to continue bringing the ElliQ proactive AI companion to aging New Yorkers at risk of loneliness and social isolation.
The partnership extension follows three years of measurable outcomes demonstrating ElliQ’s ability to reduce loneliness, improve health and wellbeing, and help older adults remain healthier and more independent in their own homes.
NYSOFA established its first public-private partnership in 2018, following a report by AARP and the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the impact of loneliness and social isolation on older adults and Medicare spending.
It stated that loneliness and isolation are equivalent to smoking almost a pack of cigarettes per day, costs Medicare more than $7 billion to treat, make chronic conditions worse, increase mortality, depression and anxiety, and increase the risk of dementia.
Recognizing the many tools that now exist to fill in service gaps, enhance services, and address workforce shortages, NYSOFA has expanded our partnerships with more than 30 technology companies to increase service provision and improve the overall health and welfare of older adults as described by the Older Americans Act.
This work complements structural policy changes, including NYSOFA’s decision, early in the Covid-19 pandemic, to add a social isolation screen to NYSOFA’s comprehensive assessment as well as a technology screen, so that individuals can be connected to digital solutions if these solutions are an appropriate fit.
NYSOFA director Greg Olsen said: “Loneliness and isolation are commonly heard today, but make no mistake, the health effects are devastating and NYSOFA is working continuously to provide the help older New Yorkers need.
“ElliQ is an essential tool to help combat the loneliness epidemic, joining dozens of other projects launched by NYSOFA to overcome the digital divide, address social isolation, improve health and wellness, and support caregivers.”
Since launching in 2022, hundreds of older adults across New York have received ElliQ through the program, while demand continues to grow, with more than 3,500 older adults applying to participate in 2025 alone.
Newly reported program data from 2026 demonstrates ElliQ’s impact on the older adults living with the device:
- 92 percent of ElliQ users find the companion useful.
- Participants engage with ElliQ an average of 48 times per day, up from 29 daily interactions in reporting from previous years.
- 94 percent report feeling less lonely, 97 percent report improved overall wellbeing, 88 percent say ElliQ has made a positive difference in their daily lives, and 79 percent feel more connected to the world around them.
- Every month, 88 percent of participants engage in two-way conversations with ElliQ, 92 percent regularly share updates about their wellbeing, and 81 percent participate in physical activity encouraged by ElliQ.
- 88 percent of users find that ElliQ has both improved their life for the better and their quality of life.
Dor Skuler, CEO and co-founder of Intuition Robotics, said: “This partnership extension continues our long term partnership with the state of New York, and its Office for the Aging, reflecting three years of measurable, record-breaking engagement results: older adults across New York are engaging with ElliQ more often, feeling less lonely, and staying more connected to the people who matter to them.
“What we have seen is that an AI companion who remembers the older adult, checks in every morning, and encourages them to take a walk or call their daughter can meaningfully change how connected and independent someone feels. That is the outcome New York continues to invest in.”
