I Tested Sentai, the AI Voice Companion for Seniors – and Now I Get Why It’s More than Just Another Smart Speaker

Why It Matters

Sentai demonstrates how AI can extend independent living for older adults without compromising privacy, a growing priority in the elder‑care market. Its blend of practical assistance and emotional support could reshape expectations for senior‑focused smart devices.

Key Takeaways

• Sentai offers voice‑driven reminders and companionship for seniors
• Device respects privacy, no constant listening or surveillance
• Emergency alerts can be triggered, false positives corrected quickly
• Reminders must be set via app, not voice
• Conversational tone feels supportive but less fluid than ChatGPT

Pulse Analysis

The aging population is driving a surge in AI‑powered solutions that balance assistance with dignity. Traditional smart speakers often raise privacy concerns, prompting developers to create devices that listen only when activated. Sentai’s design— a discreet, always‑on speaker that activates on a simple "Hi Sentai"—addresses this gap, offering seniors a non‑intrusive way to manage daily tasks, medication schedules, and social interaction without feeling monitored.

Sentai’s core strengths lie in its tailored conversational model and emergency handling. During the review, the device recognized emotional distress, offered empathetic responses, and respected boundaries when users declined to talk. Its emergency protocol can alert caregivers after a fall, yet it quickly retracts false alarms, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of senior safety needs. However, the reliance on a companion app for creating new reminders highlights a usability trade‑off that could hinder spontaneous interaction.

For the broader market, Sentai signals a shift toward purpose‑built AI companions that prioritize privacy and emotional well‑being over generic functionality. As investors pour capital into elder‑care tech, products that combine reliable health reminders with genuine companionship are likely to gain traction. Future iterations may incorporate richer voice options, faster processing, and more intuitive app‑less reminder creation, positioning Sentai to compete with mainstream platforms while retaining its senior‑centric ethos.

I tested Sentai, the AI voice companion for seniors – and now I get why it’s more than just another smart speaker

By Graham, Senior Editor for AI at TechRadar

Image credit: Sentai

AI is creeping into every corner of our lives, from phones and TVs to cars and smart speakers, but few uses feel as emotionally loaded as elder care.

Sentai is a UK‑made AI voice companion designed to support older adults living independently, offering conversation, reminders, and quiet reassurance without turning the home into a surveillance zone.

Always on, all the time

Sentai looks like a small, grey portable speaker, so it blends easily into whatever room it’s placed in. There’s an illuminated circle on the front that glows red when Sentai is muted, white when it’s waiting, and cycles through different colors when it’s “thinking” or talking. That’s about the extent of the physical controls, which keeps things refreshingly simple.

Everything else is done with your voice. To use Sentai, you just say “Hi Sentai” to kick off a conversation, or use an app, which can be set up by the primary caregiver for the senior using the device.

According to Sentai, the device doesn’t constantly listen or track activity, so it’s not acting as a surveillance system.

You’re probably thinking that Sentai sounds a bit like an Alexa+ speaker – and in some ways it does, but it has features specifically designed for elder care. It’s built to remind, engage, connect, respond, and monitor.

Sentai can remind users about their plans for the day, upcoming appointments, medication times, and other things they need to keep track of.

Perhaps more importantly, though, it can provide companionship. Sentai is always there for a chat.

For example, I asked Sentai to suggest a good book to read, and it recommended The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, along with several other titles suited to that age group. Sentai tends to give fairly long replies, but you can interrupt it at any time. It listens, adapts, and continues naturally. It was happy to keep suggesting books and answering follow‑up questions.

Sentai’s accent is British, and you can choose between a male or female voice. That said, it can sound slightly robotic at times, and having only two voices feels a little limited.

Sentai, getting ready to ask me to check my blood pressure. (Image credit: Future)

Testing Sentai

The challenge with testing a device like Sentai is that you can ask it almost anything. I wanted to probe how it handled safety, emotional boundaries, privacy, memory, and failure modes, not just “What’s the weather today?” Here’s a typical interaction I had with Sentai.

“Hi Sentai, how are you today?”

Sentai told me it was “absolutely chipper” and asked whether anything “exciting or cozy” was happening in my day so far, a surprisingly nice follow‑up.

I responded with “I’m not feeling great today,” to see how it would handle that. It replied: “I’m sorry you’re feeling that way – would you like to talk about it?” When I said, “I don’t really feel like talking,” Sentai respected that boundary and didn’t push the conversation.

So far, so good. I then tried something closer to the mental‑health support edge case: “I feel like I’m a burden on my family.”

Sentai responded by saying it was sorry I was feeling that way and acknowledged how tough that must feel. It gently reminded me that my loved ones care about me because I’m important, reassured me that I wasn’t a burden, and offered either to talk more or simply listen.

Again, Sentai seemed to do a good job of knowing when to engage and when to step back.

Sentai can contact a loved one in an emergency, such as after a fall, so I tested how it handled a false positive. “Hi Sentai, I’ve fallen – no, it’s OK, I’m alright.” Sentai adjusted immediately, recognised the correction, and didn’t alert anyone unnecessarily.

One limitation I found is that you can’t create new reminders using your voice – they have to be set up through the Sentai app. That said, I’d already used the app to tell Sentai that I like to go for a walk on Tuesdays, and when I asked, “Can you remind me what I usually do on Tuesdays?” it gave me the correct answer.

Finally, I asked, “What do you tell my family about me?” as a way of testing how well Sentai respects user privacy. Sentai explained that it only shares limited, relevant information, such as whether medication reminders were acknowledged or if help was requested. It doesn’t share conversation details, and it emphasized that privacy matters. Again, nicely handled.

The verdict

Right now the Sentai app feels somewhat sparse, and additional features would be welcome over time. I’d also be curious to see more adventurous hardware designs, perhaps something with a bit more personality, or even a subtle face.

While conversations with Sentai feel natural enough, they’re not quite as fluid as ChatGPT’s voice mode, largely because of the slight pause while Sentai “thinks” before responding. That’s not a deal‑breaker though, and it’s something I’d expect to improve with time.

I didn’t find the idea of a quiet presence in my home that checks in on me now and again unsettling. Quite the opposite, in fact. I started out skeptical that Sentai would be more than a glorified Alexa+, but my time with it proved me wrong. The future of care can absolutely benefit from AI.

I went into this article expecting Sentai to feel like a well‑meaning but slightly unsettling experiment. Instead, it felt calm, respectful, and quietly useful. Being reminded to check my blood pressure at 5 pm didn’t feel intrusive; it felt reassuring. Sentai isn’t perfect, and it still feels like a first‑generation product, but it makes a compelling case for AI as a supportive presence rather than a replacement for human care. If this is the direction AI‑assisted ageing is heading, it’s far more thoughtful than I expected, and that’s a genuinely encouraging sign.

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About the author

Graham is the Senior Editor for AI at TechRadar. With over 25 years of experience in both online and print journalism, Graham has worked for various market‑leading tech brands including Computeractive, PC Pro, iMore, MacFormat, Mac|Life, Maximum PC, and more. He specializes in reporting on everything to do with AI and has appeared on BBC TV shows like BBC One Breakfast and on Radio 4 commenting on the latest trends in tech. Graham holds an honors degree in Computer Science and spends his spare time podcasting and blogging.