People make same point about AI bot that can complete one task not everyone has time to do

A brand new AI bot could take over one everyday task for as little as £24.90 per month - but is it completely ethical?

When it comes to the elderly and technology, they never quite go hand-in-hand.

But a brand new technology has been invented with the aim of targeting that very demographic, and everyone is saying the same thing.

For many elderly people, loneliness is a daily battle, and one phone call from a friend or relative can really be the highlight of their day.

But in and amongst the business of everyday life, that all important call can often slip our minds.

The AI bot may help to tackle the loneliness epidemic among elderly people (Getty Stock Images)

It's a feeling that French inventor Vassili le Moigne knew all too well, until he created an AI program that could do it for him.

The former Microsoft executive programmed the AI bot to call his mother, Marie, for around 5-10 minutes everyday - a conversation that would then be sent to him.

It's a service designed to address loneliness and isolation in the elderly, but many people are questioning the so-called solution.

For £24.90 per month, family members can have the AI call their relative daily, whose name is Mary.

One US-based family trying it out are the Duncans - who have found it to be very useful.

Jim Duncan, who is in his fifties, signed up for his father Richard, 89.

Concerns are rising that it could replace valued 'human connection' (Getty Stock Images)

Speaking to The Times, Jim said: "Dad gets a call every day from a computer, so we don’t have to rely on my nieces and nephews or my sisters to always check in.

"For someone like dad, who kind of feels by himself, this is a connection with somebody, some phone call.

"I think it’s good for dad to talk, just verbalise stuff…that helps dad just to feel normal. So it is as much about dad talking as it is who he’s talking to."

But many have suggested that the AI bot is quite a sad creation, that attempts to replace the importance of human connection.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, noted: "It’s vital we remember that relationships are about more than stimulation and reducing the sense of being alone.

"They are an important part of people’s identity, sense of purpose and connection to their community - neither ageing nor the need for care and support diminish that."

But the creator, le Moigne, rejects the idea that the bot is a sad replacement.

"What I’m trying to do is fight the loneliness of older adults all over the world," he noted.