Samsung: The Mind Guardian

Once again this year, the agency Cheil Spain and Samsung have jointly developed a project within the framework of the local initiative ‘Technology with purpose’, which highlights the role of technology and artificial intelligence with a clear positive impact on Spanish society. With ‘The Mind Guardian’ they present an innovative application based on artificial intelligence that, through gamification, performs a memory self-assessment test for large-scale screening of signs of cognitive impairment, a common symptom in the early stages of diseases such as Alzheimer's. According to recent studies, the first signs of Alzheimer's usually appear around the age of 55. However, many individuals in this age group still have a lot of misconceptions about the necessity of testing at this point of their lives or simply fear potential alarming results. Despite quick detection being vital for timely interventions that can provide patients with up to ten additional years of quality life, it is estimated that 80% of early Alzheimer's cases remain undiagnosed in Spain, according to the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN). In this context, the video game ‘The Mind Guardian’ transforms the way and speed with which cognitive health is addressed by presenting a real and scientifically proven test as something simple, enjoyable and, above all, effective. This breakthrough represents a milestone in the field of health and technology applied to break down barriers, thus facilitating the early detection of dementias such as Alzheimer's, a disease that affects 800,000 people in Spain alone. Across different screens, players navigate a first-person city landscape, completing various tasks that recreate everyday scenarios and activities. Every choice, decision and action they make is processed and analysed by an advanced AI, which provides a complete assessment of their cognitive health status with a remarkable 97% accuracy. In less than 45 minutes of gameplay, players receive a detailed report, which serves as a valuable resource for healthcare professionals to initiate further evaluation and treatment.