When we think about artificial intelligence (AI), we don’t think that it can help people who are in pain or experiencing depression. We think of it as something that quickly gathers facts and presents them when someone has a question or needs some copy. Yet, when put to the test by researchers, AI is proving to be something that can help older adults who experience chronic pain. The more we explore how this tool is being used in this way and offer it to others, the more people it may help who are suffering.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 3 in 10 adults ages 65 and older live alone [1]. While many people like the independence that living alone brings, it can also be lonely, which can lead to depression and experiencing chronic pain. Researchers set out to see if AI could help older adults living alone who suffered from such conditions, so they conducted a study and published their findings in the May 2025 issue of the journal Pain Management Nursing [2].
The study included 50 participants who were over the age of 60 and living alone. They were randomly split into two groups, with one using a standard conversational voice assist and the other using an enhanced version. They interacted with AI twice a day for a period of 12 weeks, with all interactions taking place in their homes. At the beginning of the study and when it was over, self-reported data was collected regarding participants’ musculoskeletal pain severity, pain interference, loneliness, and depression.
Like what you’re learning? Download a brochure for our online, postgraduate pain medicine certificate program in partnership with the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
What they found was that using the AI tool twice a day over 12 weeks led to both groups of people reporting a decrease in pain interference, loneliness, and depression. They found that people in both groups reported feeling significantly less depression and loneliness, and those in the enhanced AI group reported feeling significantly less lonely.
With this information in mind, such AI interactive tools may bring hope to the millions of older adults who are living alone and suffering from chronic pain, loneliness, and depression. The study reports that chronic musculoskeletal pain in older adults is often linked to being socially isolated. By simply adding an interactive AI program, we may be able to help millions of older adults get relief from chronic pain but also from the feeling of being so lonely and depressed.
The researchers suggest that this area should be explored more, so that the tools and programs can be better tailored to the person. AI will also continue to be explored as a way to help other segments of the population who are suffering from chronic pain.
Earn an Online Postgraduate Certificate in Pain Medicine
Increase your knowledge of pain medicine and treating pain by enrolling in the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC’s online, competency-based certificate program in Pain Medicine in partnership with the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
This article was originally published on Confronting Chronic Pain by Dr. Steven Richeimer, Director Pain Medicine and Pain Science Certificates.
Resources
- U.S. Census Bureau. Living Arrangements Varied Across Age Groups. May 2024. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/05/living-arrangements.html
- Pain Management Nursing. Interactive AI Routines for Pain Symptoms and Loneliness in Older Adults. May 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40328575/
