Shall we take another leap into the future, friends? That's what we're here for, after all. Of course, you don't need a DeLorean or a time machine. All you have to do is take a journey across the UK healthcare landscape to encounter a key player that is emerging. His name is Robot caregiver: for his friends "Care-bot".
True stories
Ingrid is a mother caring for her 22-year-old son, Tom, who was born with Down syndrome. Although Tom is a quiet, shy and polite person, he requires assistance in every aspect of his daily life. Ingrid and Tom's story is one of millions in the UK, where "family carers" constitute about 9% of the population. In Italy we are talking about 9 million people: very important numbers.
Despite the challenges, Ingrid draws strength from her role: her role as a caregiver has provided her with valuable skills, which she has also found useful in her work as a teacher. There is no doubt, however, that you are also very tiring.
And this is where technology comes into play
Robot caregivers could take on a vital role in caregiving. Today the ranks of "Care-Bots" already include solutions such as ElliQ, a “social” robot powered by artificial intelligence, which can help remind Tom of his daily needs.
Other “care bots” like Pepper, a semi-humanoid robot who I told here, had difficulty finding acceptance, eventually ending production in 2021. Overall, though, there is growing enthusiasm for the technology's revolutionary potential in care.
And what about steal, another Japanese creation? It looks like you would expect a robot bear to have: big round eyes and stocky body. And it doesn't just provide psychological support: it can lift people from bed to wheelchair.
It could be of great help to carers, more than half of whom also report having health problems, or even a disability, and therefore find the physical tasks of caring difficult.
Caregiver, inevitable doubts
Beyond opportunities, as often happens with new technologies, ethical and social concerns hang over robot caregivers. The main? You know her. That dependence on machines can lead to the loss of important human capabilities.
Are we at risk of atrophying our empathy?
Prof Shannon Vallor, a philosopher of technology and chair in data ethics and AI at Edinburgh, argues that care is a crucial avenue through which we realize our humanity and that relegating this responsibility to machines could have an unexpected cost.
Robot caregiver: moral dilemmas and glasses (half full)
Through it all, Ingrid finds meaning and fulfillment in caring for her son Tom. You would never delegate these tasks to a robot, even if they cost you effort.
For her, as for so many, assistance brings with it a sense of accomplishment that we shouldn't be too quick to relegate to technology. I'm not saying it: many studies say it (including this one).
Yet, Ingrid herself admits a truth: faced with the prospect of becoming old and not being able to care for her son as she does today, she would think about it. If the prospect is to see Tom in a protected facility, her choice would be to continue taking care of him, perhaps even with the help of a robot caregiver.
On the other hand, that's what robots are supposed to be for, right? To help us, not replace us.
