AI playlists bring personalised music therapy to dementia care

A UK charity is working with technology specialists to deploy artificial intelligence in personalised music therapy for people living with memory loss or dementia.

Music for my Mind, in collaboration with Cambridge Consultants, is developing an AI-powered Playlist Maker to help scale its music therapy offering and address a significant health challenge.

Music and memory

The existing Playlist Maker tool has already been used by more than 1,000 families. This free web application generates playlists centred on users' teenage years, which clients report can trigger memories, improve mood, reduce anxiety, and enhance connections with loved ones.

Data from Music for my Mind's internal surveys indicate that 90% of respondents experience a positive mood boost, and 77% report reduced anxiety after using these playlists. The approach seeks to address the needs of nearly one million people living with dementia in the UK, part of a global population of 55 million affected individuals.

Scaling challenges

The charity's initial approach relied on trained service providers to observe one-hour music listening sessions for each person with dementia - an effort that, at current capacity, would take more than a century to serve all UK dementia patients. In response, Music for my Mind engaged Cambridge Consultants to explore automation using AI, data science, and user-focused design.

"We recognised that using AI to replicate the work that trained observers currently do means that we could potentially deploy this as an app that care partners could use all over the world. That's where Cambridge Consultants came in," said Keith McAdam, chair of Music for my Mind. 

AI integration

Cambridge Consultants analysed Music for my Mind's dataset of listener sessions to build an AI system that can detect subtle behavioural cues - such as facial expressions and body language - which may indicate how a person responds to music, even when verbal communication is limited. The resulting data processing pipeline and application streamline the process of collecting, analysing, and refining feedback on playlists.

"By combining cutting-edge AI with MFMM's expertise in using personalised music playlists, we're helping to scale something profoundly personal - restoring moments of connection, dignity, and joy to people living with memory loss or dementia. This groundbreaking work has helped illuminate a path forward, allowing for systematic and decisive steps to be taken to improve the dataset, which will in turn result in more accurate AI models that MFMM can deploy," said Joe Corrigan, Head of Technology, AI in Healthcare at Cambridge Consultants, part of Capgemini. 

Impact on care

The implementation of personalised music therapy has shown measurable improvements in care environments. For example, one care home resident named Jean, living with advanced dementia, reconnected emotionally with her husband while listening to a Perry Como song from their past. Staff have reported benefits such as calmer mealtimes, simpler provision of personal care, and more meaningful family visits, particularly across generations.

Economic context

The annual cost of dementia to the UK economy is currently estimated at GBP £42 billion, with projections indicating this could exceed GBP £90 billion by 2040. On a global scale, dementia-related expenses could reach USD $2 trillion by 2030.

Research and future direction

Music for my Mind's Playlist Maker tool, already in use, is set to become more personalised with the integration of AI, supporting responsive playlists in care homes, hospitals, and family settings nationwide. The charity's approach is backed by research and reviewed by health authorities to build an evidence base on the benefits of personalised music for people with dementia.

"We know from our research and the families we've supported that meaningful music can transform the daily lives of people living with dementia and those around them – calming anxiety, unlocking memories, and creating moments of happiness. With Cambridge Consultants, we're building an AI-powered solution that means we can reach more people, faster, and with greater personalisation than ever before. This is the future of person-centred care, powered by technology," said Dimana Georgieva, Programme Manager at Music for my Mind.