How AI-programmed robotic pets could transform therapy and mental health support

Special How AI-programmed robotic pets could transform therapy and mental health support
The Tombot Inc. hyper-realistic autonomous dog robot companion for the elderly and those unable to have a living pet dog is demonstrated during CES Unveiled ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 5, 2025. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 31 January 2025
Follow

How AI-programmed robotic pets could transform therapy and mental health support

How AI-programmed robotic pets could transform therapy and mental health support
  • AI advancements make therapy pets a viable alternative for those unable to own real animals due to allergies or living constraints
  • Despite their potential, AI-powered companions face challenges due to cultural perceptions, cost, and data privacy

RIYADH: Pet ownership has long been associated with positive mental well-being, from the company and affection animals provide their owners to the health and social benefits offered by regular walks and interactions.

Domesticated animals like cats and dogs are routinely used to comfort people in distressing situations, including those being treated in hospital or suffering anxiety on commercial flights.

In fact, pet ownership and interactions with animals are regularly touted by doctors to help address a range of mental health issues and improve a patient’s social, emotional, or cognitive function.

A 2024 review in the Journal of Medical Internet Research highlighted animal-assisted therapy’s measurable impact on reducing stress and promoting good mental health across diverse demographics and settings.

However, for those who suffer from allergies or who for whatever reason are unable to keep a pet at home, this may not be an option.

Now, thanks to new advances in robotics and artificial intelligence, a synthetic form of animal-assisted therapy has emerged with the potential to transform the healthcare landscape.

“The future of using pet-like AI-driven robots for therapy has great potential,” Imed Gallouzi, chair of the Center of Excellence for Smart Health at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, told Arab News.

“For individuals dealing with mental health issues, AI therapy pets could provide privacy, immediate reactions to crises, and even companionship to alleviate loneliness.”

Opinion

This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field)

AI therapy pets could also be integrated with other smart health solutions. “These devices could link with wearable technology and remote monitoring tools to offer personalized treatment plans,” said Gallouzi.

For example, an AI pet could sync with a wearable device to monitor a patient’s heart rate and alert healthcare providers to any irregularities.

Such AI advancements in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of mental health conditions have come at a critical time.

The World Health Organization recently warned that mental health disorders are a major contributor to the global disease burden, with depression being the leading cause of disability worldwide.




Illustration from the WHO's "world mental health report" 

Mental health issues among young people are a growing concern in Saudi Arabia. A 2023 study based on the Saudi National Mental Health Survey revealed that at least 40.1 percent of young Saudis had experienced a mental health condition at some point in their life.

Despite the prevalence of these issues, the study, published in the Scientific Reports journal, found that just 14.47 percent of young people with mental health issues had received treatment for their condition.

The Kingdom has sought to prioritize the well-being of its citizens as part of the Vision 2030 reform agenda. In 2022, it allocated 4 percent of its healthcare budget to mental health issues — far above the global average.

But for AI-programmed robotic pets to catch on as an effective therapy tool, Noor Al-Faraj, a data AI and automation expert at IBM, says the technology must exhibit sufficient emotional intelligence and offer the right response.

“For these pets to really work, they need to understand human emotions on a deeper level,” Al-Faraj told Arab News.




Despite their potential, the adoption of AI therapy pets faces significant challenges, particularly in the Middle East. (AFP)

“Imagine an AI pet that notices your heart rate increasing and reacts with a calming purring sound or a soft nudge. It’s about combining emotional intelligence with physical presence to feel real.”

Despite their potential, the adoption of AI therapy pets faces significant challenges, particularly in the Middle East.

One of the main hurdles is cultural perceptions. Indeed, the very concept of pet ownership — particularly of dogs — differs significantly in Arab cultures compared to Western norms.

“In our Arab culture, imagining that pets — let alone robotic pets — could contribute to health is a relatively new idea,” said Gallouzi.




Domesticated animals like cats and dogs are routinely used to comfort people in distressing situations. (AN Photo/Huda Bashatah)

Another challenge to the adoption of AI pet therapy is technical infrastructure, as their effectiveness will likely depend on a reliable cloud-driven system or one that requires advanced internet connectivity.

Cost and accessibility also pose significant barriers. The technology would likely be prohibitively expensive for the average user. Indeed, research published in Emerging Technologies Quarterly in 2021 highlighted the high cost of advanced AI solutions in emerging markets.

Data privacy is also a critical issue, as AI therapy pets require the collection of sensitive personal information to function effectively.

DID YOUKNOW?

• Equipped with sensors, AI, and machine learning, robotic pets can respond to touch, voice, and movement. 

• Research shows AI-powered pets can reduce stress and anxiety, improving mental well-being.

• Studies estimate one in two people will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime.

• The global market for robotic pets was valued at $1.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow 9.5 percent annually (Grand View Research).

Al-Faraj says strict privacy measures are needed to ensure public trust, as concerns over data protection could hinder the technology’s uptake.

Similarly, ethical concerns surrounding AI therapy pets require attention. “If someone starts relying on an AI pet too much, it could make them pull away from real relationships, which would defeat the purpose of emotional support,” said Al-Faraj.




World Health Organization illustration

Given these drawbacks, it seems unlikely these AI companions will replace human therapists altogether — at least not any time soon. But mental health practitioners would be wise to keep up with developments.

“AI will never replace doctors, but professionals who don’t understand AI might find themselves out of work in the future,” said Gallouzi.

Creating a market for AI therapy pets in Saudi Arabia will require significant investments in education and infrastructure.

“We need to train professionals in AI and smart health technologies to prepare the next generation of experts,” Gallouzi added.

Although impressed by these developments, Al-Faraj is not yet convinced that real animals can be substituted by AI therapy pets, no matter their sophistication.

She said: “They’re unpredictable, warm, and have this way of connecting with us that feels almost magical.”

 


Former Saudi ambassador to US condemns Trump’s ‘mad ethnic cleansing plan’ for Gaza

Former Saudi ambassador to the US Prince Turki Al-Faisal speaks to CNN international anchor Christiane Amanpour. (Screenshot)
Former Saudi ambassador to the US Prince Turki Al-Faisal speaks to CNN international anchor Christiane Amanpour. (Screenshot)
Updated 40 min 15 sec ago
Follow

Former Saudi ambassador to US condemns Trump’s ‘mad ethnic cleansing plan’ for Gaza

Former Saudi ambassador to the US Prince Turki Al-Faisal speaks to CNN international anchor Christiane Amanpour. (Screenshot)
  • Prince Turki Al-Faisal says Donald Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians from the territory would lead to more bloodshed

LONDON: Donald Trump’s plan for the US to take control of Gaza and force Palestinians to leave would be “ethnic cleansing” that would spark conflict and bloodshed, Saudi Arabia’s former ambassador in Washington Prince Turki Al-Faisal said Wednesday.

In an interview with CNN, Prince Turki, who also served as the head of the Kingdom’s intelligence services, angrily rebutted the US president’s comments that included a threat of sending US troops to help turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

He said he expected Arab and Muslim countries, along with European and other nations, to take up the issue at the United Nations to show that the world is opposed “this mad ethnic cleansing plan.”

“It is a fantasy to think that ethnic cleansing in the 21st Century can be condoned by a world community that stays on its behinds, and does not respond to that,” Prince Turki told presenter Christiane Amanpour. “The problem in Palestine is not the Palestinians. It is the Israeli occupation. And this has been clear and understood by everybody.”

Prince Turki said Trump’s comments upended previous US policy in favor of a two-state solution.

He said Trump’s plan was based on the position of Israeli extremist politician Itamar Ben-Gvir “the ultimate ethnic cleanser,” who recently resigned as Israel's national security minister over the Gaza ceasefire.

Trump’s words were “total acceptance of the Israeli position by the American government,” Prince Turki said, adding that this approach had been gaining support in US political circles over the past two years.

Prince Turki said that if Trump were to visit Saudi Arabia he expected him to receive “an earful” from the Saudi leadership about “not just the wisdom of what he is proposing, but the downright unfairness and injustice.”

Trump has had close relations with Saudi Arabia and made the Kingdom his first foreign visit of his first term. Prince Turki said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had pledged last month to invest $600 billion in the US.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry strongly condemned threats to displace Palestinians from their land and reiterated the Kingdom's position that there would be no normalization of relations with Israel until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“This has been the position of Saudi Arabia from the beginning,” Prince Turki said.

He said Trump’s Gaza plan on top of the “destruction and the devastation” of the territory during Israel’s campaign there would only lead to more support for militant groups like Hamas.

“Everybody has been telling the Israelis that if you repress these people, that if you punish them, if you inflict death and destruction and mayhem and genocide on them, all you are going to do is create more opposition,” Prince Turki said. “That’s why they want to use ethnic cleansing to get the people out of the territory.”

“So, their policy is clear cut and unfortunately, we hear this reflected now in what Mr.Trump has said.”


Quality of life, economy, culture in Madinah improving under Vision 2030, authority says

Quality of life, economy, culture in Madinah improving under Vision 2030, authority says
Updated 05 February 2025
Follow

Quality of life, economy, culture in Madinah improving under Vision 2030, authority says

Quality of life, economy, culture in Madinah improving under Vision 2030, authority says
  • Local GDP, tourism and investment on the rise in region
  • New opportunities for entrepreneurs expected

RIYADH: Quality of life, the economy and culture in Madinah are improving under Vision 2030, according to the Madinah Region Development Authority.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, officials from the authority said they are aiming to highlight regional achievements and the transformation taking place there.

Ihab Salem, chief strategy officer at Madinah Region Development Authority, said: “With the support of the emir of the region, we will achieve (Vision 2030 goals) through all relevant sectors of work in the region.

“This also helps in achieving developmental mobility, economic growth, and increasing investment opportunities and local content in the Madinah region, thus opening many opportunities for male and female entrepreneurs in various sectors.”

Economically, local gross domestic product reached SR118 billion ($31 billion) in 2023, with SR53 billion in foreign investment, while the second quarter of 2024 saw a decrease in unemployment.

Tourism is the rise, with 18 million visitors to the region in 2024. Visitors stayed an average of 10 days in 2023. The region was ranked 88 globally on Euromonitor International’s 2024 index of the world’s top 100 city destinations, ranked seven globally on the Tourism Performance Index, and 3,200 locations are registered in the National Urban Heritage Register.

It was recently announced that foreigners can now invest in Saudi-listed companies owning real estate in Makkah and Madinah, following a landmark decision by the Saudi Capital Market Authority.

Al-Madinah Smart City has also gained a number of achievements, including an advancement in 11 ranks in the International Institute for Management Development Smart City Index, ranking 74th globally after ranking 85th in 2023, alongside a number of other milestones.

Other notable initiatives implemented in collaboration with the Vision Realization Program include the King Salman Project to expand Quba Mosque, which aims to expand the area tenfold and develop 57 historical sites to reach a capacity of 66,000 worshipers; and the Dar Al-Hijra project in Madinah, which aims to retrace the steps of the Prophet Muhammad’s journey.

Madinah is considered one of the most accessible regions in the Kingdom through land, sea and air. Its three airports transported 10 million passengers in 2024, across more than 72,000 flights operated by 77 airlines to 36 local and international destinations.

Public buses in Madinah now have 123 stations, and the Haramain High Speed Railway Depot has transported 9 million passengers, according to the authority.

Salem added that a number of projects can be attributed to private investors and entities like Maqsad Quba, Jabal Ayr and As Safiyyah Museum & Park.

The authority is highlighting Madinah’s economic diversification through the agriculture and mining industries, its global connectivity through tourism and cultural heritage offerings, and the vision achieved by its residents in the health, education private and nonprofit sectors.

Officials said that 58 initiatives have been launched under the Pilgrim Experience Program, 104 under the Quality of Life Program and 30 under the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program.


Saudi Shoura Council vice-speaker receives Hungarian official in Riyadh

Saudi Shoura Council vice-speaker receives Hungarian official in Riyadh
Updated 05 February 2025
Follow

Saudi Shoura Council vice-speaker receives Hungarian official in Riyadh

Saudi Shoura Council vice-speaker receives Hungarian official in Riyadh

Vice-Speaker of the Shoura Council Mishaal Al-Sulami received Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary Istvan Jakab and his accompanying delegation in Riyadh on Wednesday.

During the meeting the two sides discussed various topics of common interest, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Al-Sulami reviewed the Shoura Council’s work and the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in consolidating cooperation and supporting bilateral relations.

Jakab also expressed his aim of deepening bilateral relations between the two sides.
 


Jordan’s king welcomes Saudi support for Palestinian rights

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Jordan’s King Abdullah. (File/SPA/AFP)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Jordan’s King Abdullah. (File/SPA/AFP)
Updated 27 min 21 sec ago
Follow

Jordan’s king welcomes Saudi support for Palestinian rights

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Jordan’s King Abdullah. (File/SPA/AFP)
  • King Abdullah expresses appreciation during a call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a day after controversial Gaza comments by Donald Trump
  • King also meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and affirms rejection of “any attempts” to take control of Palestinian territories or displace the people there

RIYADH: Jordan’s King Abdullah on Wednesday welcomed Saudi Arabia’s continuing firm and supportive stance on the rights of the Palestinian people.

He expressed his appreciation during a telephone conversation with the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a day after US President Donald Trump suggested the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza so the US can take over the territory and rebuild it for others to use.

“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too; we’ll own it,” he said during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

During their call, King Abdullah and the crown prince discussed the latest developments in the region and efforts to achieve security and stability, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Earlier in the day, during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the king rejected “any attempts” to take control of Palestinian territories or displace the people there.

Saudi authorities issued a statement in the early hours of Wednesday, following Trump’s statement, that affirmed that the Kingdom’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state remains firm and unwavering, and they rejected any “attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land.”

It added: “Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.

“Achieving lasting and just peace is impossible without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international resolutions, as has been previously clarified to both the former and current US administrations.”


Superintelligent AI could replace human researchers, experts suggest

Superintelligent AI could replace human researchers, experts suggest
Updated 05 February 2025
Follow

Superintelligent AI could replace human researchers, experts suggest

Superintelligent AI could replace human researchers, experts suggest
  • AI opens new horizons in hypothesis generation, data analysis, Riyadh panel hears
  • Global Healthspan Summit discusses ethical implications surrounding AI in healthcare

RIYADH: Experts at a Riyadh conference on Wednesday tackled the question of whether human researchers will become obsolete in the face of superintelligent machines capable of making groundbreaking discoveries.

A panel discussion during the Global Healthspan Summit, which has Arab News as a media partner, brought together specialists to explore the potential of artificial intelligence in scientific research.

The session, titled “AI — The Greatest Scientist in Waiting?” challenged the scientific community by positing that the new technology could surpass human capabilities in hypothesis generation, experimental design, and data analysis.

Two prominent contributors, Dr. Christoph Benn, director of the JLI Center for Global Health Diplomacy in Switzerland, and Jamie Heywood, CEO and founder of Alden Scientific in the US, took part in the discussion, which was moderated by Dr. Jens Eckstein, investment partner at the Hevolution Foundation in Saudi Arabia.

Heywood opened the conversation by emphasizing the transformative potential of AI.

“Mathematics and data techniques are not particularly new. What changes is the amount of data and the computational power we can apply to it,” he said.

Modern scientific method, when combined with AI, allows researchers to ask more nuanced questions, Heywood said.

Rather than relying on generalized clinical trials, researchers can now tailor inquiries to individual circumstances, thus enhancing the relevance and applicability of findings.

Heywood explained: “With enough variables and carefully designed queries, we can answer critical questions like: What will help me? What might be harmful? How will a change in my life, whether it be a diet or medication, feel?”

Such personalized insights would not be feasible without the integration of modern AI technologies, he added.

However, Heywood also cautioned against the pitfalls of AI, particularly the “garbage in, garbage out” phenomenon.

He explained that while machine learning can generate valuable insights, it is also susceptible to errors if the underlying data is flawed or misinterpreted.

“Machine learning can correct for seasonality errors in data, but it can also produce spurious correlations that traditional scientific methods might not catch,” he warned.

For instance, he recounted how the UK Biobank data suggested a correlation between vitamin D and aging that contradicted prior knowledge, highlighting the importance of critical oversight in AI-assisted research.

Benn echoed these comments, stressing the necessity of using AI responsibly in the context of personalized medicine.

“Is it possible to do modern medicine effectively without machine learning? I’m not even sure,” he said.

Benn said that the complexities of modern health data — comprising thousands of variables — are beyond the capacity of human intuition alone.

“Humans can intuit some relationships, but we can’t analyze data at that level,” he said.

The discussion also explored the ethical implications and regulatory needs surrounding AI in healthcare.

Benn pointed out the importance of establishing frameworks to ensure that AI tools are validated and certified.

“We need to trust these tools, both from the consumer’s perspective and from researchers,” he said.

He shared concerns raised by researchers who were hesitant to market their AI innovations without a clear certification process and accountability measures in place.

“Unless we know whether there is a certification process and whether we will be held accountable for unintended side effects, we will not market our AI tools.”

As the panel concluded, the conversation highlighted a critical juncture for the scientific community, noting that the integration of AI into research has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of health and disease, but also necessitates careful consideration of ethical and regulatory frameworks.