James Babcock: Building Ori: Emotional AI and Real Human Hope

An interview with James Babcock: Building Ori: Emotional AI and Real Human Hope

 

Biography

James Babcock is the founder and CEO of Ori Technologies, a Canadian startup developing the world’s first emotionally intelligent wearable. With a background in media, nonprofit outreach, and behavioral wellness, James was inspired by personal challenges including his own brain injury, a neurodivergent son, and lived experience navigating broken mental health systems to build a tool that could listen when no one else would. His wife Candice, who works in end-of-life care, helped shape Ori’s human-first design. Together, they saw a need not being met and built something that could change lives.

 

Please tell me a little about your background.

I’ve worked in media, communication, and nonprofit development for years, but it was personal hardship that led me to emotional AI. After a brain injury and watching my son struggle with care as a neurodivergent child, I realized how broken the support systems were. Ori wasn’t born out of business ambition it was born because nothing else was working. So, we built what we wished existed.

 

Can you tell me more about your Advocacy?

Ori is more than a tech product, it’s a form of advocacy in itself. We champion mental wellness, early emotional detection, and human dignity. We’re advocating for those who don’t get heard of veterans, seniors, kids, neurodivergent individuals, caregivers. We advocate by building tech that listens and responds without judgment.

 

What is your passion and how did you get involved in Parkinson’s awareness and hope for a cure?

While I don’t have Parkinson’s myself, my journey overlaps with many of the same needs’ peace of mind, emotional grounding, caregiver support, and false alarm prevention. Ori has evolved to support individuals with conditions like Parkinson’s by using vibration therapy, emotional check-ins, and eventually, integration with AI models like Med-Gemma for early symptom awareness. Our passion lies in building tech that can feel as much as it functions.

 

What type of goals do individuals with Parkinson’s have when working with you?

Seniors and Parkinson’s patients want peace of mind fewer false alarms, more emotional grounding, and a tool that’s supportive, not intrusive. Ori provides discreet vibration therapy, gentle reminders, journaling options, and emotional regulation prompts to help navigate the ups and downs.

 

What type of training and how long are the programs?

Ori is designed to be intuitive, no major training is needed. Users simply wear it and interact through voice, touch, or the app. However, we do offer onboarding guides, caregiver integration, and adaptive features based on user needs. Our pilot programs typically run for 90 days to track effectiveness.

 

What effect can your Advocacy have on an individual with Parkinson’s?

It can offer real-time emotional support, reduce isolation, and prevent overreactions to symptoms that might feel scary but don’t require emergency response. Ori creates a sense of companionship and soon, with AI health tools like Med-Gemma, may help catch subtle changes earlier.

 

What would you like to see as a future goal for your Advocacy?

We want to see Ori in every household that needs it especially for those aging alone, without 24/7 support. We hope to reduce unnecessary 911 calls, provide emotional safety nets, and eventually shape a new category of compassionate tech.

 

What events do you participate in?

We’ve been featured at Microsoft Ignite, mental health innovation forums, and we’re building toward events with veteran organizations, elder care networks, and Parkinson’s advocacy groups. As a startup, we go where we’re needed especially where we can partner for real change.

 

How does this also assist the caregivers?

Caregivers can sync with Ori, get alerts for vitals or emotional changes, and feel reassured that their loved one isn’t completely alone. This reduces burnout and panic they know Ori is there between visits, supporting them silently and smartly.

 

How can someone get in touch? What is your website?

You can reach us at www.oritechnologies.ca or email me directly at james@oritechnologies.ca. We love to connect with caregivers, advocates, and health professionals.

 

How can others also become advocates for awareness?

Start with listening. Talk to people. Ask how they’re really feeling. Then speak up post, share, connect others with tools like Ori. Advocacy doesn’t need a degree it just needs a heart and a voice.

 

Why haven’t emotional wearables existed until now?

Because it’s hard but necessary. And we finally have the tech and the heart to build one.

 

In your opinion what is the key to effective advocacy?

Lived experience. Not theory. People listen when they know you’ve walked through the storm, not just studied the clouds.

 

How can we better fundraise to support a cure for Parkinson’s?

Show the humans behind the condition. Fundraising succeeds when people see their neighbor, parent, or self in the cause. Emotion drives action.

 

What other activities do you undertake to help improve and support your daily living Eg exercise and alternative remedies?

Vibration therapy, grounding rituals, low-sensory environments, and journaling of all things Ori supports. And of course, laughter. You need a good sense of humor when you’re building something nobody else believes in (yet).

 

Why should people who don’t have Parkinson’s care about this?

Because they might someday. Or someone they love might. And because compassion shouldn’t be reserved for people, we know it should be baked into the systems we live in.

 

Have you had any family members or relatives affected by Parkinson’s disease?

No immediate family, but close family friends. Enough to know how emotionally exhausting the journey can be, especially for caregivers. It’s a quiet battle and that’s what we built Ori to notice.

 

If you had one song that would tell us more about you or represent your life, which song would it be?

“Fix You” by Coldplay. It’s what I want Ori to do for people be the light when they’re losing theirs.

 

What are your social media tags?

Twitter/X: @OriTechnologies

Instagram: @oritechnologies

LinkedIn: Ori Technologies

 

 If you had one final statement or quote you could leave for the Parkinson’s community, what would it be?

You deserve to be heard, even when the words are hard to find. Ori is here to listen without judgment, without fear.

 

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TogetherForSharon® In memory of my mother, Sharon to voice awareness & hope for a Parkinson’s Disease cure. Sharon’s Son, George

Support https://www.togetherforsharon.com/shop/