AI robot dolls charm their way into nursing the elderly Rest of World By: Michelle Kim 27 August 2025 at 05:00 In her tiny sunlit Seoul apartment, Kim Jeong-ran sat on her bed, talking affectionately to a cloth doll perched on her lap. “Hyodol, you’re my lovely granddaughter,” the 81-year-old said,... © Jun Michael Park for Rest of WorldKim Jeong-ran, 81, speaks with her Hyodol, an AI-equipped companion robot, at her home in Gungdong, Guro-gu, Seoul, South Korea, Jul 23, 2025.