Case study Seoul Digital Foundation
Organization Background (Who?) (Seoul Digital Foundation)
Organization overview
Area of operation: Elderly day care centers & Welfare centers (2 city) inside Seoul (Gangbuk
강북 and Jongro 종로)
Funder for the particular project: Seoul Metropolitan City
Who’s doing the implementation?: The SDF (also known as Seoul Digital Foundation)
What is the relationship with the government?
This project is funded by the government and SDF provides the service (AI Robots) to the
Elderly day care and Welfare center.
Are there any specific government policies that relate directly to the program?
The 2018-2022 (page 18) vision for the Korean government was “Republic of Korea that
prospers with intelligence” and the 10th assignment out of the 13th was to “Creating a digital
inclusion that can be enjoyed by everyone”. This is one of the projects that is funded by the
government to include the elderly people and get them more involved in society.
What is the relationship, if any, with the private sector? It does not say about the private sector.
Project background (if case study of a particular project) (What?)
What is being delivered?
Type of project (training, event, support, etc.)
The main project delivered by the SDF is supplying the developed AI to the Elderly day care
centers, having a trial operation with people above the age of 65 with artificial intelligence to
help them with their daily life.
What kind of content?
Does the content relate to any specific area of older persons life?
They have humanized the AI, which they have tried to design in a way where the elderly can
easily adapt. The SDF have trained the AI to give physical and mental support to the elderly.
(Giving massage, Writing poem with the elderly etc)
How is the content structured? Does it support learning by doing?
What is the purpose of the project?
There are 6 purposes of this project proposed by SDF which are: Emotional care, cognitive
training, digital literacy, information delivery, social facilitation and accompaniment.
Does the project promote health, social life, political life, or overall well-being?
In the beginning of the report SDF reports about the number of elderly people increasing in
Korean and how they have not prepared for social change “Sudden development of technology”
which has led them to increase in depression and suicide rate. SDF wants the AI to help them
feel more involved, overall this project wants to promote social life and overall well being.
Project Details (How?)
How is the training delivered?
AI sent to the center and they have prepared a specific time table for the activities to be
conducted with the elder and the AI.
Who is doing the training?
A training personnel from SDF
Does the training incorporate social support networks (family, friends, intergenerational, service
providers like nurses, etc.)?
The report has not said anything involving other social support network.
Mode of training delivery, i.e. lessons, videos, self-learning, games, etc.?
Conducts through activity such as lesson (writing poem, writing a journal), games (Quiz and
puzzle games) and emotional check
What kind of technology is used in the training?
Companion robot artificial intelligence from SDF.
What kind of devices are the focus (smartphone, tablet, computer, etc.)?
Robot and tablet.
Are there any problems or opportunities with the devices used?
The report does not talk about problems or opportunities.
Where is the training taking place?
In the elderly day care and welfare center.
Is the training integrated into other activities, i.e. social activities?
In the report it only talks about activities in the center and not outside.
How does the project particularly target older persons?
It is held for the elders in the center.
What kind of adjustments are made to target older persons?
They made the project for age 65+
Is the content targeted at older persons?
Yes
Is the form of training targeted to older persons?
How does the project target older persons or reach older persons?
They target people who already are attending the elderly day care and welfare centers.
Are some groups left behind?
It is not mentioned in the report.