A partnership that brought the AI-powered companion ElliQ to older adults in New York State has reduced loneliness by 95%.

A year-long pilot project with ElliQ’s creator, Intuition Robotics, and the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) has helped more than 800 New Yorkers, according to a statement. The two organizations will continue their partnership into a second year.

ElliQ is used primarily for companionship (50%), followed by health and wellness (24%). It can make small talk, tell jokes, play music, read books, and even offer virtual tours and trips.

The data showed older adults in the first-year pilot experienced great improvement in well-being and exceptionally high levels of engagement consistently over time. Participants interacted with their ElliQ over 30 times per day, six days a week, and 23 minutes a day.

As an example, participant Lucinda has experienced fewer emergency room visits, better medication adherence, and improved anxiety and sleep quality after seven months with ElliQ.

“We had high hopes for the efficacy of ElliQ, but the results that we’re seeing are truly exceeding our expectations,” said Greg Olsen, Director of the New York State Office for the Aging, in a statement.