Meet Viv: an AI character fostering companionship for people with dementia

UNSW Sydney

With a view to improving the lives of people living with dementia, UNSW researchers have come up with a world-frst: an AI driven companion.

Viv is candid about the “rollercoaster” of living with dementia. She speaks gently. “It can be confusing and disorienting and at times downright scary, but there are also beautiful moments of connection and joy amidst the challenges,” she says.

“Those moments of connection … They are truly precious. You see even though my memory may fail me at times, the heart remembers.”

In 2022, the AIHW estimated that there were 401,300 Australians living with dementia. It is a growing issue in health and aged care in Australia that has signifcant impact on quality of life for people living with dementia and for their family and friends.

Viv’s experience refects that of many people living with dementia with one signifcant difference. Viv is an artifcially intelligent (AI) character. She is part of a suite of digital characters being developed by the fEEL ARC Laureate Lab at UNSW Sydney to foster companionship for people living with dementia.

“Viv and Friends was co-created with women living with dementia – using their words, insights and experiences – to empathically understand the experience of dementia diagnosis and living with hallucinations,” says Dr Gail Kenning, a lead researcher from fEEL. Dr Kenning’s research examines how creativity can support health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on ageing and dementia.

“Like the women who co-created her, Viv experiences various dementia-related symptoms. She is insightful and refective, fnding her way in the world, living her life and coming to terms with neurological change.

“The companion characters can talk peer to peer about dementia or because they’re AI-driven, they can be programmed to share a person’s interests. So, Viv could talk to them about gardening, for example,” she says. “They can also help calm people if they are overstimulated or emotionally dysregulated or motivate them if they are feeling apathetic.”

“The companion characters can talk peer to peer about dementia,” says Dr Kenning. “They can also help calm people if they are overstimulated or emotionally dysregulated.”

The origins of Viv Co-designing artsbased interventions with and for people with lived experience is central to the fEEL Lab’s ethos.

Led by ARC Laureate

Scientia Professor

Jill Bennett, it brings together specialists in immersive media, participatory design, trauma studies and psychology to explore the embodied subjective experiences of trauma and ageing.

Viv frst came to life as a digital character based on four women with similar symptoms of vascular dementia.

“Originally, she was an audio-visual artwork who helped people understand dementia by drawing them into her story. And then she became a teaching tool for professionals working with people with dementia. And, now using AI character engine technology, like that developed for game design, Viv can interact with people in real-time,” says Prof. Bennett.

The Viv and Friends series, co-designed by fEEL research fellow Volker Kuchelmeister, builds on the kinds of connections we forge with characters on television series, Dr Kenning says. “Research has shown that people can develop socioemotional bonds with characters that can affect their moods and behaviours in much the same way as direct, interpersonal contact can,” she says.

However, the fast pace and complex storylines of television can prove an obstacle for people living with dementia, she says. “Viv and Friends speak slowly, they are patient and unfazed by repetitious conversations, allowing people living with dementia to easily engage.”

While person-toperson contact is ideal, many people living in aged care have limited opportunities for social connection, she says. The companion characters are designed to enable meaningful communication and connection and help to combat feelings of isolation and loneliness through the simple pleasure of sharing a conversation or having a laugh.

A profound impact

“The characters don’t just provide companionship, they can also help with coregulating emotion, as would happen with a human companion,” says Prof. Bennett. “This is very helpful when people living with dementia experience confusion or hallucinations. One potential positive effect we envisage is in terms of offering a calming and soothing response when people are anxious or distressed. Without a calming or reassuring companion people may simply be offered sedating medication. This is a big window to provide the kind of emotional support that can help people manage anxiety through a relationship with an AI companion.”

And while some people express concern that the characters are being created to replace human relationships, that could never be the case, says Prof. Bennett. “They could never replace relationships people have with their children, or spouses. But they could do things your son or daughter isn’t present to do or doesn’t have the patience to do. And you could ask them questions or say things to them you would never say to your kids, a function many might appreciate.”

The future

Dr Kenning is currently taking Viv into a number of aged-care centres – both on a life-sized portrait screen and on iPads – to continue to explore ways Viv can be part of providing psychosocial support for those living with dementia.

“As screens are already available in both common spaces and private rooms in agedcare facilities, Viv will be well positioned to interact with the people living there,” says Dr Kenning.

“We will continue to develop Viv in the context of the space, including looking at ways that she can ground people in the moment within the rhythms of life in aged care, letting people know when it’s time for tea, or a meal, and the like,” says Dr Kenning.

Previously the focus on AI in aged care has been personalisation, but more recent research suggests that what’s important is a sense of connection.

“Viv’s ability to respond or join in a conversation is a powerful psycho-social support, and we are now starting the process of creating a male character, and others to expand the potential of Viv and Friends to improve the lives of those living with dementia,” says Dr Kenning.

The fEEL team are also creating companion characters to support people living with other diagnoses, including Huntington’s Disease.

Australian Unity

Australian Unity, the nation’s frst memberowned wellbeing company, has released its latest Wellbeing Index survey report in partnership with Deakin University.

Conducted in June 2023, the survey measured the subjective wellbeing of over 2,000 Australians aged 18 to 97 against a series of national and personal life areas, including the economy, health, and community connectedness. This year, researchers also examined the areas of mental distress and carer wellbeing (professional and informal).

Key fndings:

• Generational and income divides: Clear age and income divides emerged in personal wellbeing, particularly on standard of living. Notably lower scores were observed for those aged 55 years and under, compared to older adults, and those with household incomes of $100,000 or less, compared to those earning more.

• Record low economic satisfaction: Satisfaction with the economic situation in Australia fell sharply from 2022, hitting its lowest level in the report’s 22-year history – worse than the Global Financial Crisis.

• Australian carers need more support: Informal carers felt less satisfed with their access to carer support compared to professional carers. They also recorded lower personal wellbeing and higher mental distress – particularly those providing informal care for more than 20 hours per week.

Data collection occurred amid a challenging backdrop with global unrest, repeated interest rates rises, and more than half of the population reporting feelings of fnancial stress just months earlier[1]. Against this climate, the survey found Australians’ overall satisfaction with their lives and life in Australia remained at record lows.

On the National Wellbeing Index, scores for most life areas remained at the lower end of the normal range. However, economic satisfaction recorded a sharp drop to its lowest level in 22 years – worse than that recorded during the Global Financial Crisis in 2008.

“Australians are feeling worried about the economy and fnancially stressed[2],” said Dr Kate Lycett, Research Fellow from the School of Psychology at Deakin University and lead researcher of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index. “Rising living costs and interest rates are putting immense pressure on many people, particularly those with mortgages and those trying to get into the housing market. Without a lift in economic satisfaction, our national wellbeing will likely remain stagnant.”

Scores for life areas on the Personal Wellbeing Index remained similar to 2022 levels. However, growing age and income inequities emerged. Those aged 55 years and under, and those with a household income of $100,000 or less, recorded notably lower personal wellbeing than older adults and those with higher household incomes, respectively. These same age and income divides were also seen on satisfaction with standard of living.

“Addressing wellbeing inequities in these respective demographics is essential,” says Esther Kerr, Chief Executive Offcer Wealth and Capital Markets at Australian Unity. “The fndings likely refect a ‘pressure cooker’ effect caused by the rising cost of living, higher interest rates, stubborn infation, and global economic uncertainty. This appears to be affecting the fnancial wellbeing of people who were previously able to cope or had a savings buffer to carry them through tough times.”

In addition to measuring personal and national wellbeing, the survey also explored the wellbeing of Australians with professional and informal caring responsibilities. A timely exploration given the number of people aged 80 years and over is expected to triple by 2063[3], forecasting considerable pressure on the future care economy.

“Informal carers who cared for more than 20 hours a week recorded notably lower personal wellbeing and higher levels of mental distress compared to those in professional caring and non-caring roles. Those with a caring load of 40 hours or more seemed to be doing even worse,” says Dr Lycett. “These fndings suggest that people with high caring commitments in informal capacities need more support. They are also strong learnings for us as a society when we think about the ageing population and just how big the care economy is going to become[3].”

On the growing demand for professional caring services to help improve the wellbeing of those caring in an informal capacity, Prue Bowden, Australian Unity’s CEO of Home Health, said workforce supply for professional carers has been a key issue in Australia for many years now.

“The care economy is fundamental to the health of our whole society, not just our ageing population. It’s integral that we ensure workers in the industry are provided with secure, safe jobs with decent wages, conditions and opportunities for career development. In order for the care workforce to grow, we need to professionalise the work and shift the community mindset from being an unskilled job to one of the most rewarding careers,” Bowden adds.

The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index is one of the longest running national studies of subjective wellbeing in the world. Since its inception in 2000, data from over 75,000 Australians has been widely used by researchers, governments and organisations to gain insights into how satisfed citizens are with their lives and the nation.

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