Peta Rolls came to expect Aida’s call at 10am each morning.

A daily check-in call from an AI voice bot was not part of the service Rolls expected when she signed up for St Vincent’s home care but when they asked her to be part of the trial four months ago, the 79-year-old said yes because she wanted to help. Although, truth be told, her expectations were low.

Nevertheless, when she got the call, she says: “I was so overtaken by how responsive she was. It was impressive for a robot.”

“She’d always ask ‘how you are today?’ and that gives you an opportunity if you’re feeling sick to say you felt sick, or I just say ‘I’m fine, thank you’.”

“She would go on to ask questions – ‘have you had a chance to step outside today?’”

Aida would also ask what Rolls had planned for the day and “she wou

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