"Save Me" AI Speaker Saves Life of an 80-Year-Old Living Alone

An 80-Year-Old Living Alone in Yangju, Gyeonggi
Falls in Bathroom, Fractures Pelvic Bone
AI Calls 119 After Hearing "Help Me" Shout

"Aria, save me"

A story is gaining attention where an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker quickly responded to the cries of an elderly person in their 80s living alone who had fallen in the bathroom and could not move, ultimately saving their life.

An elderly person in their 80s living alone saved their life through an AI speaker provided in Okjeong 1-dong, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi Province.
[Photo by Yangju-si]

On the 22nd, Yangju City in Gyeonggi Province announced that on the 13th, Mr. A, an elderly man in his 80s living alone in Okjeong-dong, Yangju City, saved his life thanks to an AI speaker. At around 6:19 a.m. that day, Mr. A fell in his home bathroom and was unable to move his body. Since he lived alone, there was no one to ask for help, and he was unable to make a phone call.

At that moment, Mr. A recalled the voice recognition reporting service of the AI speaker. Okjeong 1-dong, where Mr. A resides, launched a new project this year installing AI voice recognition speakers in 20 single-person households with elderly living alone, providing a service that allows them to request help through the AI speaker in case of emergency.

When Mr. A shouted, "Aria, save me," the AI speaker recognized his voice and immediately made an emergency call to the 24-hour control center. The control center, recognizing the emergency SOS situation, attempted to communicate with Mr. A, but when the call did not connect, they promptly dispatched 119 paramedics to his home.

Mr. A was transported by the paramedics to the emergency room of a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with a complex fracture in the pelvic bone and underwent emergency surgery. He is currently hospitalized and receiving treatment.

Mr. A said, "Thanks to the AI speaker that I had casually installed, 119 arrived early and took me to the hospital," and expressed his gratitude to the Okjeong 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center for installing the AI speaker.

Meanwhile, AI is being utilized as an alternative to care for elderly people living alone or disabled individuals who need protection, helping to effectively respond to emergency situations. In April, in Gumi, Gyeongbuk Province, a man in his 70s who showed paralysis symptoms due to a stroke shouted "Save me" to an AI speaker, and 119 paramedics quickly responded, overcoming the emergency. Also, in May in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, an elderly person experiencing hemiplegia shouted "Help me" to an AI speaker, and was promptly transported to the hospital via 119, where he was diagnosed with a stroke but saved through treatment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.