A digital platform has been launched that utilises AI to offer emotional and spiritual support to people navigating grief and loss.
EmpathAI has been created by experts from the University of Nottingham's Schools of Computer Science and Medicine in collaboration with Spanish Cooperative The Art of Good Living with the aim of building an online community for 24/7 support. It has been designed to complement, and does not replace, professional palliative and end of life care.
The platform features a specially trained AI chatbot for compassionate support and signposting, community spaces (public and private) where people can create their own chat rooms to discuss their circumstances with others in the same situation. There are also wellness tools, and connections to grief specialists and therapeutic resources.
EmpathAI has been co-produced with bereavement experts, people with lived experience of grief, and technology developers, following Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles to ensure the platform is ethical, safe and genuinely reflects the needs of the people it is designed to support.
The concept and project has been led by Professor Elvira Perez Vallejos and the platform was developed by Computer Science Masters student Arun Veeriampalayam Soundararajan who wanted to explore the possibilities of technology in supporting people experiencing grief and emotional hardship.
After experiencing a loss myself I began to understand how painful it can be when you desperately need to talk to someone but don't know who to turn to. Grief can also make it difficult to share certain thoughts and feelings with other people because of the fear of being misunderstood or judged. This gave me the idea to explore how technology could simply be there for another human being during a difficult moment.
EmpathAI is a non-judgemental companion that is available 24/7, whenever someone needs a space to talk. The philosophy behind EmpathAI is simple: sign up as an individual but heal as a community.
Dealing with end-of-life care and death is very difficult and not something we are usually well prepared for, so a lot of the practicalities and emotions people face during this time can come as a shock and be very debilitating. We hope that EmpathAI can help navigate this, alongside support from loved ones this platform can be part of the journey to help someone deal with end-of-life and death better, be more prepared and in a positive way.
The platform is a safe space where people can feel heard, understood and supported, while also ensuring that their privacy and personal information are protected. Data security and responsible handling of users' information are fundamental principles of the platform.
Arun continues: "For me, this is ultimately a way of giving something back to society. If technology can be used to make someone feel heard, less alone and a little more comfortable during one of the most difficult periods of their life, then I believe it is technology being used for the right reason."
People can choose to register to be part of an ongoing study to evaluate how the platform is performing and help inform any future modifications.
