AI-based support for loneliness among older adults in Japan: insights from unstructured data

Abstract

Objective: This study examines how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are used to address loneliness among older adults in Japan and aims to clarify emotional, social, and institutional dynamics of AI-supported elder care through analysis of unstructured, practice-based materials.

Materials and Methods: An exploratory qualitative analysis was conducted using Japanese-language blogs, case reports, policy documents, and technical articles identified through targeted keyword searches. Narrative segments were coded for emotional tone, expectations, anxieties, and institutional barriers. Themes were developed inductively through iterative review, with attention to lived context and relational dynamics.

Results: Analysis of six documents yielded 78 codes and five themes: (1) longing for connection, in which AI provided emotional comfort; (2) technological anxiety and resistance; (3) institutional and relational barriers; (4) reconstruction of relationality through AI-mediated expression; and (5) invisibility of loneliness and limitations of AI in detection and response.

Conclusion: AI technologies show promise in mitigating loneliness among older adults; however, effectiveness depends on emotional receptivity, institutional readiness, and relational context. Support systems must move beyond contact frequency to foster narrative expression and recognize loneliness as a legitimate target of care. These findings provide a foundation for ethically sensitive, context-aware intervention design.