What robots can and can't do for the old and lonely | Hacker News Reader

What robots can and can't do for the old and lonely

newyorker.com

36 pointsmitchbob6 comments

I've been based in Japan for past 30 years, and this is a huge area of research and active product development.

On my podcast, I've talked with many of the CEOs making social robots and companion robots here, and there is a real benefit to forming emotional bonds with machines in this way.

Western culture has an intrinsic mistrust of robots that does not really exist in Asia - or at least in Japan. However, even when the elderly are the target audience, the gold standard for acceptance is the reaction of children.

Young children (from any culture) will give you the most honest assessment of whether a given robot is being viewed as a toy or a pet.

It's a fascinating area of research.

The article inadvertently shows what robots should be doing, which is helping them physically. For the very elderly, simple everyday things like stairs, carrying things, reaching for things, etc become either impossible or very risky.

I know we don't have this today, but improved battery tech, better control systems (ie magnifying small movements) or neural implants etc may allow us to tackle this in the future. What many elderly need is a sort of prosthetic mecha suit that lets them do everyday things we take for granted. Throw in a self a self driving car and a simple thing like visiting your family an hour away and cooking them a meal suddenly becomes possible.

Robots to help with physical tasks, and AI (which could be embodied by the robot) to help with loneliness and intellectual tasks, ranging from everything from life strategy counselling, to day planning, to basic data entry.

There are valid use cases for robots in elder care. But most elderly people would be better off if they spent their money on a gym membership and personal training sessions so that they can continue climbing stairs and carrying things longer. Muscular atrophy is a huge risk and once a person loses the ability to do basic physical activities they usually die soon.

Companies will find other uses for at-home robots.

As a hypothetical somebody could help their parents better deal with dementia by purchasing a puzzle playing robot (or giving the person instructions to carry out themselves, Task Rabbit style) from a "trustworthy" company. Which gets sold to another company.

Suddenly your puzzle robot is recommending Centrum Silver.

Innocent enough. Company gets a new CEO.

The robot is now recommending Centrum Silver and suggesting you hang out in this clique to "encourage social exercise and extend long-term health." Yay! Dinner Parties!

New management, new features. The robot recommends against this path to the grocery store to avoid bad areas. You know how those areas are.

And on and on.

Hasbro make Joy for All. They obviously push an angle here.

Meat pets work. It stands to reason robots could one day.

But given the entire AI industry is built on lies, I'd hesitate to believe anything around this.

My robot vacuum which cost 4 times the price is garbage (but she has a name), Alexa has 10,000 employees and is garbage.

The naming of our vacuum to me is around a shared experience, (talking to other humans about her) It's unlike a pet for me which is a direct interaction.

It'd be interesting to post the Joy for All to them and get a telemarketer robot to ring them and see if it worked, but that sounds evil to me, which to me means it's the gifting in person which has the value.

[edit] The Amazon review are pretty actually glowing, https://www.amazon.com/Joy-All-Orange-Tabby-Cat/product-revi... The guy who bought one for himself after his wife's suicide and his disappointment is quite sad though

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