The relationship that's been missing

Leslie Walker · Published July 2, 2026

I built HELPER.ai, an AI companion for independent elderly parents, winning the People's Choice award at Google's Demo Day. It's about designing human-AI interaction, not just the tech.

I'm Leslie, a Global Creative Director who loves to build. I decided to dive deep into AI and product development back in 2023. My background is in branding, learning how humans tick and making cool things, and I wanted to see how AI could help me amplify that. Instead of just focusing on models or prompt engineering, I choose to design the interaction experience between humans and AI—how people truly understand, trust, and use it.

Guilt pushed me into this project. My brother carries the weight of caring for our 92-year-old mom. I wanted to help him, and ease the constant worry about scammers or forgotten medicine plaguing her. So I built the prototype for HELPER.ai.

HELPER is an AI companion for independent elderly parents and the adult children who can’t always be there. It’s designed to be a warm voice that remembers, not a surveillance tool. "Good morning, Margaret. How did you sleep? I know your hip was sore last night." That's how Helper starts the day, focusing on human connection over dashboards or medical alerts that end up in a drawer.

I built HELPER.ai and won the People's Choice award at Google's Demo Day boot camp. It was a fast, intense month with a smart team, and it completely shifted my perspective. My confidence in my instincts skyrocketed, and I learned how to work with AI, accounting for its limitations instead of being intimidated by its speed.

I also learned that I would hate living in a world full of robots. The real win was becoming a better human in the loop, understanding that while AI is expansive, the human element—trust, understanding, and genuine connection—is what truly makes it valuable.

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