Using Artificial Intelligence to Counsel Seniors

A collaboration with Lions Befrienders, the Temasek Foundation Facial Analysis Correlation of Emotions (F.A.C.E.) Programme aims to test-bed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing the mental wellbeing of seniors and establish proof-of-concept.



Developed by Opsis Emotion AI, a spin-off from A*STAR, the technology analyses facial expressions of seniors using proprietary computer vision algorithms and machine learning techniques. The software then maps these expressions to emotions. This allows the emotional state of seniors to be more precisely captured.

When used during counselling sessions, F.A.C.E. offers counsellors more detailed insights into the real-time emotions of seniors. This assists counsellors to assess the emotional and mental states of seniors for better counselling outcomes, and is particularly useful with reticent or less expressive seniors. It is hoped that this programme will help seniors receive timely intervention to arrest or reverse mental declines.

In trials conducted in overseas healthcare settings, the technology achieved more than 93% accuracy when benchmarked against similar technologies. This is the first time the technology is applied to seniors in a community setting in Singapore.

As part of the programme, Lions Befrienders is reaching out to over 4,300 seniors islandwide, at its 10 centres and at community events, to participate in AI-aided counselling sessions and care planning screenings.