1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
In focus
IranUkraineGerman politics
Latest audioLatest videos
Live TV
Digital WorldGermany

AI in nursing homes: Combating loneliness

February 19, 2026

Robot Willi talks, recognizes faces and remembers previous conversations. The robot offers companionship. Yet the technology is far from perfect.

https://p.dw.com/p/596Ki
Skip next section Explore more

Explore more

Deutschland 2025 | SHIFT_KI ehe_Reuters

Virtual marriages: When AI becomes a partner

Virtual marriages: When AI becomes a partner

A Japanese woman has married her AI chatbot. Their relationship exists entirely online, yet it holds deep emotional meaning for her. She’s not alone: a growing number of people are forming intimate bonds with AI.
Digital WorldFebruary 23, 202602:54 min
A child lying on a fluffy rug, touching a stuffed animal. Another person is seated nearby, partially visible from the shoulders down. The room is warmly lit and has a cozy atmosphere.

Purring robots: Children & AI toys

Purring robots: Children & AI toys

Can children tell the difference between a cuddly, purring AI toy and a real animal? While research is still in early stages, the global market for emotionally responsive AI toys is booming — despite growing concerns.
Digital WorldFebruary 23, 202602:23 min
Deutschland 2026 | SHIFT_AI connection_ropetai.com

How AI simulates human connection

How AI simulates human connection

AI models seem friendly, patient, and able to adapt to their users. Researchers warn that this may make real encounters with others more challenging and result in emotional consequences.
Digital WorldFebruary 19, 202602:29 min
Show more stories
Skip next section Similar stories from Germany

Similar stories from Germany

A view of two sex dolls in a brothel, in dim light

How well can an AI sex doll hold a conversation?

At the Berlin Cybrothel, customers can talk with AI sex dolls. How good are the dolls at keeping a conversation going?
Digital WorldOctober 4, 202403:36 min
Laptop screen displaying wildlife monitoring software with a fox walking through a grassy forest clearing, highlighted by a red detection box in a video frame preview.

How AI can protect Germany's national parks

Artificial intelligence is helping track how wildlife and nature in German national parks is reacting to climate change.
ClimateJanuary 23, 202607:14 min
DW Arts Unveiled (Sendungslogo Composite)

From Kafka to AI

Franz Kafka, a genius plagued by self-doubt. Plus: scary AI videos and spectacular moves!
LiteratureMay 25, 202426:04 min
Show more
Skip next section More on Digital World from Europe

More on Digital World from Europe

A girl is lying in bed with a cell phone.

Austria sends 70,000 kids on a three‑week smartphone detox

No scrolling, no messaging for three weeks. Austria's Gen Alphas had to find new ways to stay amused. Did they succeed?
Digital WorldMarch 25, 202601:32 min
DW | Shift | KI-gesteuerte Drohnen & Schwarmintelligenz

Automated drone swarms, the beginning of AI-driven warfare

AI can create combat drone swarms that are controlled by a single soldier. How does this work?
Digital WorldMarch 23, 202602:29 min
The Shift show logo is superimposed on an image showing an angular glass or plastic tube on a circuit board

Drones are changing the war in Ukraine

Drones are one of the most dangerous weapons being used in the war in Ukraine.
Digital WorldMarch 20, 202602:53 min
Show more
Skip next section More on Digital World from around the world

More on Digital World from around the world

Over the shoulder view of someone sitting behind a computer in a dark room

Help, we've been hacked!

Ransomware poses an existential threat to businesses.
Digital WorldApril 6, 202628:34 min
SHIFT | Technologie & Landwirtschaft | Übersichtsmotiv zur Sendung

The future of farming

Robots and AI are increasingly taking over physically demanding work in agriculture.
Digital WorldApril 2, 202612:34 min
An illustration photo showing a smartphone displaying social media applications with a no under 16 sign in the background

Social media bans: What it means for you

Governments around the world are trying to ban social media for kids. Here's what you need to know.
Digital WorldApril 2, 202604:25 min
Show more