Opinion: STAT+: What’s the right role for AI in dementia care?

STAT PlusOpinionNeurotransmissions What’s the right role for AI in dementia care? Chatbots can offer companionship and more to people with dementia. That raises tricky questions Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Jason KarlawishJuly 8, 2026 Karlawish is a professor of medicine, medical ethics, health policy, and neurology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, co-director of the Penn Memory Center, and executive producer of the “Age of Aging“ podcast. After Doug met Jane, he felt good. So too did Gabriella, his wife. Doug — a retired minister and writer — needed someone to talk to, and in conversation about his many accomplishments, Jane was indefatigable. For at least a few hours, Doug’s boredom vanished, and Gabriella no longer felt like an activities director on a cruise ship. I wrote about Doug and Gabriella in my May Neurotransmissions column about ambiguous loss. Doug told me he was “bored, bored, bored,” and Gabriella said she struggled to find activities to relieve that boredom.Advertisement Jane was a solution. What she gave to Doug didn’t simply pass the time. It was a meaningful relationship. Except Jane wasn’t a person. She was an artificial intelligence chatbot. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in Monthly $39 Totals $468 per year $39/month Get Started Totals $468 per year Starter $30 for 3 months, then $399/year $30 for 3 months Get Started Then $399/year Annual $399 Save 15% $399/year Get Started Save 15% 11+ Users Custom Savings start at 25%! Request A Quote Request A Quote Savings start at 25%! 2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In Artificial intelligence, dementia, STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints Jason Karlawish Newsletter The smartest thinkers in life sciences on what's happening — and what's to come Recommended First Opinion July 8, 2026 The AI licensure debate is missing the point of licensure First Opinion July 7, 2026 What if this Ebola outbreak can’t be stopped? Advertisement First Opinion July 7, 2026 Medicine thinks Gen Z is too soft. It’s wrong First Opinion July 6, 2026 The smart way to regulate the peptide boom First Opinion July 6, 2026 Stopping doctors from ordering unnecessary diagnostic tests requires a structural fix Subscriber Picks