Klick Health Uses AI to Create Digital Hugs

Klick Health

The holidays can be a very lonely time. While the expectation is that friends and family will come together to celebrate, this isn’t always possible. For those unable to join with loved ones, this time of year can amplify that feeling.

Klick Health is attempting to use AI to help solve this problem. Based on the results of a company survey, Klick created a series of videos they refer to as virtual hugs.¹ According to the survey, 74% of Americans and Canadians have at least one person that they won’t be able to be with in person over the holidays due to a variety of reasons.

The videos use photos of each person and then utilize AI to create footage of the two people hugging, creating the virtual hug.

In a press release, executive director of the Foundation for Social Connection Jillian Racoosin Kornmeier said, “The holidays can often heighten experiences of loneliness and isolation, but hugs offer a simple, meaningful way to foster greater social connection and well-being. This season, the Foundation for Social Connection is proud to partner with Klick Health to bring loved ones closer and promote the transformative power of a hug.”

Klick’s chief creative officer Rich Levy added, “There’s nothing quite like the warmth and reassurance of a heartfelt hug. With ‘Holiday Hugs,’ we wanted to celebrate the profound connections that hugs create—even when distance or life circumstances keep us apart. Seeing the joy and tears of our Klicksters reminds us that no technology can truly replace the magic of human connection, but it can help bring us closer in the most surprising ways.”

This is the latest example of Klick Health attempting to use AI in unique ways to solve issues. In September, the company announced the winners of the second round of its Million Dollar Klick Prize.² The teams, made up of Klick employees, made suggestions such as AI-powered branded message development and an AI-powered gaming-engine-based patient experience model.

In a press release issued at the time, Klick co-founder and chairman Leerom Segal said, “The caliber and creativity of Klicksters’ contest submissions in this latest round continue to impress and demonstrate how AI can help our industry generate better health outcomes in eye-opening new ways. The Klick Prize underscores our people-first workplace culture. It exemplifies our commitment to diversity of thought and our belief that great ideas can come from anywhere–in this case, anyone at Klick, not just our data science team.”

Klick has also used AI for more direct medical results.

Earlier in September, the company announced new AI-based technology that can detect chronic high blood pressure just by listening to a voice recording.³

“By leveraging various classifiers and establishing gender-based predictive models, we discovered a more accessible way to detect hypertension, which we hope will lead to earlier intervention for this widespread global health issue. Hypertension can lead to a number of complications, from heart attacks and kidney problems to dementia,” said Yan Fossat, senior vice president of Klick Labs and principal investigator of the study, in a press release.

In the same press release, Klick Labs research scientist and co-author of the study Jaycee Kaufman added, “Voice technology has the potential to exponentially transform healthcare, making it more accessible and affordable, especially for large, underserved populations. Our ongoing research increasingly demonstrates the significant promise of vocal biomarkers in detecting hypertension, diabetes, and a growing list of other health conditions.”

Sources

1. Company Surprises Team with AI & Real-Life Hugs in Emotional Video as 74% of People Say They Won’t Be Able to Hug Someone They Wish They Could This Holiday Season. Klick Health. December 3, 2024. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241203113360/en/Company-Surprises-Team-with-AI-Real-Life-Hugs-in-Emotional-Video-as-74-of-People-Say-They-Won%E2%80%99t-Be-Able-to-Hug-Someone-They-Wish-They-Could-This-Holiday-Season
2. $1,000,000 Klick Prize Continues to Showcase Game-Changing AI Ideas for Life Sciences. Klick Health. September 25, 2024. Accessed December 9, 2024. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240925145624/en/1000000-Klick-Prize-Continues-to-Showcase-Game-Changing-AI-Ideas-for-Life-Sciences
3. Scientists Use AI to Detect Chronic High Blood Pressure in People’s Voice Recordings. Klick Health. September 10, 2024. Accessed December 9, 2024. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240910236143/en/Scientists-Use-AI-to-Detect-Chronic-High-Blood-Pressure-in-People%E2%80%99s-Voice-Recordings