Louise Collins-Tassé, another Bruyère tenant who joined the program, says she’s been finding Alexa “delightful” so far.⁠ ⁠ More than just the practical uses of the technology, Collins-Tassé says there’s an emotional spark to conversations with the digital voice.⁠ ⁠ One of her favourite interactions with her new robotic friend is a very human one: telling Alexa, “I love you,” which prompts the voice assistant to begin a song in response.⁠ ⁠ “It’s really cute. She just tells you how much she loves you,” Collins-Tassé says with a smile.⁠ ⁠ The Alexa pilot at Bruyère is made possible through a partnership between Amazon and Connected Canadians, a national non-profit that provides technology training and support to older adults.⁠ ⁠ CEO and co-founder Emily Jones Joanisse says the organization’s ethos is a belief that as the population ages, there should be a deliberate effort to keep older Canadians in the loop in the same way coding and computer science classes are often thrust upon youth.⁠ ⁠ “Digital skills are extremely important for our younger populations, of course, but nobody is paying attention to older adults,” Jones Joanisse tells Global News, citing “societal ageism” as one of the barriers keeping older adults from embracing the latest tech.⁠ ⁠ The pilot project at Bruyère will see between 50 and 100 devices with Alexa installed in tenants’ homes, depending on how many people opt into the roughly six-month program.⁠ ⁠ Click the link in the @GlobalNews bio to read more.⁠ ⁠ Image: Laura Whelan/Global News