On July 10, 2025, at the Chongqing Yuelai International Conference Center, the intelligent eldercare companion robot "Peipei" gave a demonstration. (Photo/Chongqing Daily)

Chongqing - China has released its first national White Paper on smart elderly care, highlighting how emotional AI can help address the challenges of an aging society. 

Unveiled on July 10 at an embodied intelligence conference in Chongqing, the paper was jointly issued by Mashang Consumer Finance’s research institute, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, and the China Intelligent Computing Industry Alliance.

China faces a rapidly aging population. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, by the end of 2024, the number of people aged 60 and above had reached 310 million, accounting for 22% of the national population. This demographic shift has led to increasing demand for care, especially since smaller family units and a growing number of "empty-nest" households strain traditional care models. Smart elderly care with technologies is now a policy and industry focus.

Emotional companion AI is identified as a core component in this trend. The White Paper argues that integrating emotional recognition and response capabilities into care services allows for more adaptive, human-centered interaction. This includes understanding unspoken emotional needs, initiating social contact, and improving the sense of companionship for older adults. 

The White Paper also presents a technical framework for emotional companion AI systems. First, emotional AI is becoming more multimodal, shifting from voice-only interaction to integrated analysis of speech, gestures, facial microexpressions, and physiological signals. Second, services are evolving from reactive responses to proactive care, using data to anticipate needs and intervene early. Third, integrated community-based models are emerging, connecting seniors with services and social networks in familiar settings. Fourth, hybrid solutions combine machine responsiveness with professional human support to ensure meaningful emotional care.

One example highlighted is Peipei, a multifunctional companion robot developed by Mashang. Peipei was launched earlier this year and has been deployed at a Chongqing welfare institute. The robot combines health monitoring, psychological support, and interactive companionship, and is capable of responding to user emotions with up to 92% accuracy with 32 facial expression types. It speaks Chongqing dialect, responds to phrases like “keep me company for a chat,” and replicates family members’ voices in under ten seconds to simulate a familiar emotional presence and ease loneliness.

Peipei’s features extend beyond conversation. It offers stroke risk assessments and remote health monitoring while also supporting customization, such as playing nostalgic music when signs of sadness are detected. As of March, the robot was already active, with plans to expand to more than one million users in Chongqing over the next three years and to over ten million nationwide within five years.

These technological developments are supported by Chongqing’s broader push to grow its embodied intelligence industry. Local authorities have pledged to build a coordinated innovation spanning AI, sensor integration, and robot manufacturing. Mashang Consumer Finance has also committed to contributing to this ecosystem through its participation in government-led AI industrialization projects.

While the robot demonstrates what is already possible, the White Paper emphasizes that emotional care cannot rely on automation alone. It calls for a balance that combines AI tools with professional support services to ensure seniors experience a genuine connection. Companion AI, the report concludes, should not replace human care but rather augment and enhance it across home, community, and institutional settings.