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Can AI Help Us Tackle Loneliness?

By Dr. Sala Webb, Member of DocGo’s Medical Advisory Board

Loneliness is one of the quietest yet most powerful forces shaping health today. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., has called loneliness “a public health epidemic.” Recent data from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) highlights how widespread it is:

• 30% of U.S. adults experienced loneliness at least once a week in the past year
• 10% reported feeling lonely every day
• Adults 18–34 were more likely to feel lonely daily or several times a week (30%)
• Single adults were nearly twice as likely as married adults to experience weekly loneliness (39% vs. 22%)

My psychiatric colleagues see the human cost of these statistics in the many seniors who live alone or who have lost daily contact with friends and family. In my practice, I see this reality constantly in the adolescents I treat. They have access to social media and digital communication, yet many feel profoundly disconnected. At both ends of the age spectrum, isolation takes a toll. It raises anxiety, fuels depression, and affects physical health. The facts are daunting. 

Yet something as simple as a short daily conversation with a friend or neighbor can lower anxiety, improve mood, and even affect long-term outcomes. The question is whether technology can help. Can artificial intelligence become part of the solution?

AI as a Companion?

The idea of a synthetic companion once belonged to science fiction. Films such as Her illustrated how adaptive, conversational AI could create a sense of relationship, even romance. That possibility no longer feels so distant. In recent years, AI companionship has begun to move from fiction to reality.

Today, people are already comfortable reaching out through anonymous digital channels. When the national 988 suicide hotline launched, texting quickly became the most common way for people to connect. Many prefer the privacy and immediacy of typing over the vulnerability of a phone call. This trend suggests that AI-driven texting, triage, and screening could one day support behavioral health. Adaptive AI tools may serve as a first layer of support before a person engages with a clinician.

There are of course important concerns to address before we embrace such a future. AI companionship can create risks related to reality distortion, vulnerability to cybercrime, and blurred boundaries in relationships. Society will need clear guardrails to ensure safety, privacy, and ethical boundaries.

At the same time, the opportunity is meaningful. AI can be a fantastic supplement to human interaction. It can provide daily check-ins, encourage conversation, and notify clinicians when something changes. It can create consistent moments of support between visits. The key is sophistication and nuance. 

Chat + Monitor 

AI companionship becomes more powerful when paired with remote patient monitoring. Wearables already track heart rate, glucose levels, sleep patterns, and other physiological markers. By combining these insights with conversational check-ins, practitioners gain a clearer picture of how someone is functioning each day. If dialogue shows signs of distress and the data reveal concerning changes, the care team can be alerted and respond earlier.

At DocGo, where I am a member of the Medical Advisory board, we already operate a hybrid model that brings together in-home visits, virtual care, remote patient monitoring, and mobile health services. Agentic AI check-ins have the potential to extend that even further, by providing a daily touchpoint that adds context to a patients’ real-time health data. Together, remote monitoring and AI check-ins can paint a more complete picture of health that spans both emotional and physical dimensions.

Looking Ahead

Loneliness is a public health issue with profound consequences for both mental and physical health, and it will require responsibility, compassion, and innovation to address. While we’re still in the early stages of this journey, DocGo is uniquely positioned to explore this new hybrid care framework, and we are eager to work with healthcare providers and payers to do so. The AI revolution has enormous promise. Let’s put it to work to ease the growing pain of widespread isolation and help improve the health of those who need it most.