In South Korea, about one in every 10 elderly persons suffers from dementia, a rate that is rising with the aging population. In 2026, the number of dementia patients aged 65 and over passed 1 million, with projections reaching 2 million by 2044. The burden of care for these patients then often falls on family members, and national health studies show significantly higher odds of depressive symptoms among caregivers.
Recently, creative advertising agency Daehong, a Lotte Group subsidiary, launched A.I.ways Call, a social impact campaign developed with Bobath Memorial Hospital. The program uses generative AI voice technology to support early-stage dementia patients and their caregivers by recreating familiar family voices and conversational patterns, while providing caregivers with summaries of patients’ psychological states and encouraging follow‑up calls.
A pilot study by Ewha Womans University’s Department of Communication and Media found a 70% drop in anxiety‑related expressions and an increase in positive responses such as “I feel reassured because you’re here.” Caregivers also reported less stress from repetitive phone calls.
Hospitals in South Korea have increasingly adopted AI as a support tool, with projects such as Dr. Answer 2.0 and Seoul National University Hospital’s Kmed.ai. Still, vulnerable patients remain at risk if safeguards fail.
In January 2026, South Korea became the first country to enforce a comprehensive AI Basic Law. Unlike The EU’s phased rollout of obligations under the AI Act and the US’ sector-specific approach, South Korea’s model applies immediately but relies on voluntary industry assessments and ongoing refinement based on “real-world feedback”. This flexibility promotes innovation but leaves weaker guardrails, especially for vulnerable populations.
The agency emphasised that the campaign is not meant to replace human care but to maintain emotional connection and reduce caregiver burden. While the app informs users they are interacting with an AI service while providing caregivers with conversation summaries for family records, concerns remain about over‑reliance and diminished genuine engagement.
Campaign’s take: A.I.ways Call is a supportive assistant tool, offering emotional reassurance to dementia patients and easing caregiver stress. Yet government policy framework around AI in healthcare remains under refinement, with limited guardrails and training in place. Errors such as AI hallucinations and data privacy leaks – driven by flaws in training data, model design, inference methods – persist and inadequate security guardrails leave patients vulnerable.
Still, the campaign reflects a growing commitment to human‑centered innovation. With continued refinement of safeguards and stronger oversight, it could evolve into reliable companion tools that enhance care without replacing the human touch.
