RIYADH: Pet ownership is associated with positive mental happiness, provided by the company and loving animals to the owners provided by the health and social benefits provided by regular walks and interactions. I have come.
Animals, like cats and dogs, are used on a daily basis to comfort people in painful situations, such as being treated in hospitals and being anxious on commercial flights.
In fact, the interaction between pet ownership and animals is regularly advertised by doctors to deal with various mental health issues and improve patients’ social, emotional, or cognitive function. 。
The 2024 review of Journal of Medical Internet Research emphasizes animal support therapy to reduce stress, reduce diverse population statistics and promote excellent mental health throughout the environment.
However, for those who are suffering from allergies or those who cannot put their pets for some reason, this may not be an option.
Currently, a form of animal support therapy that may change the medical environment has appeared thanks to the new progress of robot engineering and artificial intelligence.
“There is a big possibility in the future of using AI -drive robots like pet,” said IMED GALLOUZI, the chair of the smart health center of King Abdora Science and Technology.
“For individuals who deal with mental health issues, AI therapy pets can provide privacy, immediate reactions to crisis, and dating to reduce loneliness.”
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AI therapy pets can also be integrated with other smart health solutions. “These devices can be linked to wearable technology and remote monitoring tools to provide personalized treatment plans,” Gallouzi said.
For example, AI PET can monitor the patient’s heart rate in sync with wearable devices and warn the medical providers for irregularity.
Advances in the diagnosis, treatment, and the management of mental health status are important times.
World Health Organization has recently warned that mental health disorders are a major contributor to the burden on the global diseases, and depression is the main cause of disability around the world.
The problem of young people’s mental health is increasing in Saudi Arabia. A 2023 study based on Saudi Arabia’s national mental health survey revealed that at least 40.1 % of young Saudi Arabia had experienced mental health at a time of life.
Despite the rate of illness in these problems, this study, published in Scientific Reports Journal, found that only 147 % of young people with mental health problems had been treated in that state. 。
The kingdom tried to prioritize the happiness of citizens as part of the Vision 2030 Reform Agenda. In 2022, 4 % of the medical budget was assigned to mental health issues. This is much higher than the global average.
However, in order for the AI-program-programmed robot pet to catch up as an effective treatment tool, NOOR AL-FARAJ, an IBM data AI and automation expert, showed sufficient emotional intelligence and responds correctly. He states that it must be provided.
“For these pets, they need to understand human emotions at a deeper level,” Alfaraji told Arab News.
“Imagine an AI pet that rises your heart rate, a calm Pazing noise and a soft nudge. It feels real in combining emotional intelligence and physical being.”
Despite the possibility, the adoption of AI therapy pets faces a particularly important issue in the Middle East.
One of the main hurdles is cultural awareness. In fact, the ownership of pets, especially the concept of dogs, is much different in Arab culture compared to Western norms.
“In our Arab culture, it is a relatively new idea to imagine that pets -robot pets can contribute to their health,”.
Another issue for adopting AI PET therapy is the technical infrastructure. The effect is likely to depend on a reliable cloud -drive system or a system that requires advanced Internet connections.
Costs and accessibility also bring a large barrier. This technology can be very expensive for average users. In fact, research published in Emerging Technologies Quarterly in 2021 emphasizes high -cost AI solutions in emerging markets.
Data privacy is also a serious problem because AI therapy pets need to collect highly confidential personal information to work effectively.
You didknow?
• Robot pets equipped with sensors, AI, and machine learning can handle touch, voice and movement.
• According to research, pets equipped with AI reduce stress and anxiety and improve mental happiness.
• In research, it is presumed that one in two people develops mental illness in a lifetime.
• Robot pet global markets are expected to be $ 1.2 billion in 2022 and are expected to increase 9.5 % a year (Grand View Research).
AL-FARAJ states that strict privacy measures are needed to ensure people’s trust, as concerns about data protection can hinder technology efforts.
Similarly, be careful of ethical concerns surrounding AI therapy pets. “If someone relys on AI pets too much, you will be separated from the actual relationship and you can defeat the purpose of emotional support,” said Al-FARAJ.
Given these drawbacks, it seems unlikely that these AI friends will be completely replaced by human therapists -at least soon. However, mental health practitioners will be wise to catch up with development.
“AI is not a substitute for a doctor, but experts who do not understand AI may notice that they have lost their work in the future,” says Gallouzi.
Creating an AI therapy pet market in Saudi Arabia requires a large amount of investment in education and infrastructure.
“We need to train an AI and Smart Health Technologies experts to prepare next -generation experts,” Gallouzi added.
I was impressed by these developments, but I am not yet convinced that alphalaj is sophisticated, but the actual animals can be replaced with AI therapy pet.
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