Meet Elizabeth, your virtual nurse. She can tell you what medication to take, and when to take it. She can raise her eyebrows to emphasize words, and she can show empathy. And, to make you feel at ease, she can even ask you questions like "Are you a Red Sox fan?"
One of a growing band of "relational agents" that act as stand-ins for front-line staff, Elizabeth is designed to help with the discharge process at hospitals. She was developed by computer scientists at Northeastern University (hence the Red Sox question), and trialed at Boston Medical Center. Following commercialization by a startup in San Francisco, she could soon be appearing in hospitals around the country.
At first glance, this is not so different from Siri, the iPhone assistant that is proving so popular, but I'm not sure this is a technology I would welcome. When I think about discharge, I think I'd rather have attention and engagement rather than efficiency and speed.