New York State is giving hundreds of "companion robots" to seniors at risk of social isolation, The Verge reports.

Why it matters: Researchers have linked social isolation to all sorts of negative health outcomes: Loneliness is associated with a 50% higher risk of dementia, 32% increased risk of stroke and 29% greater risk of heart disease, and "significantly increases a person's risk of premature death from all causes," per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What they're saying: "[ElliQ] focuses on what matters to individuals: memories, life validation, interactions with friends and families, and promotes overall good health and well being," New York State's Office for the Aging director Greg Olsen told The Verge.

But, but, but: Skeptics argue that, for lonely seniors, artificially intelligent robots are no substitute for time with friends and family.