Kitchener, Ont. AI chatbot for breast cancer patients becomes focus of national clinical research study

CTV’s Spencer Turcotte speaks to a Kitchener woman who is using her own experience with breast cancer to help others.

A made-in-Kitchener chatbot, used to help women battling breast cancer, has become the focus of a new national clinical research study.

The team behind AskEllyn says it is the world’s first AI companion for breast cancer patients and caregivers.

Waterloo Region resident Jessica Smarandache was introduced to AskEllyn after being diagnosed with breast cancer in August.

“Originally, I was like, ‘Oh, whatever.’ My mom already had breast cancer six years ago with the same hospital, same process,” said Smarandache.

She thought she had everything down pat and didn’t require any emotional help.

Then, the fears and the questions began creeping in, so she turned to AskEllyn, which was inspired by Ellyn Winters.

“It’s wedded with my lived experience as a breast cancer survivor. So when someone talks to AskEllyn, they’re essentially talking to me,” said Winters.

Smarandache said it helped her feel like she was talking to a friend who had experienced the same thing. And she could have a conversation with her any day, and any time.

“It added that extra layer of empathy and compassion,” said Smarandache.

Winters co-created the chatbot after feeling isolated following her own breast cancer diagnosis.

The smart minds at Gambit helped bring AskEllyn to life.

“We took her lived experience, her book, her transcript, and then turned that into an AI conversational tool that you can go and chat with,” said Patrick Belliveau, managing partner at Gambit.

That was a couple of years ago. Fast forward and AskEllyn has been accessed by patients and caregivers in more than 100 countries and over 40 different languages.

The tool is now at the centre of new research funded by the Canadian Cancer Society, who is putting forward $250,000 to explore how AI companions can provide empathetic support for people affected by breast cancer.

“To understand a little bit better how we can use the AI in a safe manner and to match the care, the support provided through AI, with the compassionate care from healthcare providers,” said Amina Silva, an assistant professor of nursing at Brock University.

Silva will be leading the way with the two-year research project. Her goal is to ensure there are clear boundaries between conversational care and medical advice, and to get feedback from users to help improve the chatbot and other platforms alike.

That’s something its creators are excited about.

“We are going to get to prove empirically that we actually benefit people’s lives,” said Belliveau.

Winters hopes this research backs up what its users have told her.

“I think probably the greatest compliment I’ve gotten is that AskEllyn has a soul,” she said.