SK Telecom, a leading mobile carrier in South Korea, said Monday that usage of company‘s home care service by senior citizens using through its artificial intelligence speaker Nugu is continuing to increase this year.

According to the telecommunications firm’s latest report, the number of seniors using the home care service has increased to 4,700 as of July from 3,200 in April last year.

The monthly average uses of the AI-based home care service have also jumped by 127 percent, compared with that of April last year, the report showed.

Since April 2019, SKT has been providing its AI speaker care service to some 3,200 seniors living alone as part of its corporate social responsibility projects.

SKT‘s Nugu provides conversations, music streaming and news content for users along with various services linked with the internet of things.

SKT noted that the service appears to have helped the seniors in their emotional stability.

It said that those who were able to keep in contact with their families at least four times a month, go outside at least once a week and communicate with at least seven friends through the service’s aid cited better satisfaction and happiness.

Meanwhile, the number of seniors who were rescued by SK Telecom’s home care service reached 33 as of July.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)