For Older People Who Are Lonely, Is the Solution a Robot Friend?

Get rid of the "older" in the whole idea and you're onto a social issue that needs addressing. But like any other social issue, this cannot be solved by technology, even if loudmouth tech morons like to pretend otherwise for that sweet sweet public funding. To quote Douglas Adams on the whole robot idea:

"The Encyclopedia Galactica defines a robot as a mechanical apparatus designed to do the work of a man. The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation defines a robot as 'Your Plastic Pal Who's Fun to Be With'. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy defines the marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetic Corporation as 'a bunch of mindless jerks who'll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes'."

I think having to get a robot to keep me company would make me feel worse than being alone.

I wonder if robots can be kind of like the 3d video calling of the future. Imagine you make a real facetime call and your face is projected on the front of the robot. You could look around and have the camera move with you too. Maybe there could be other ways to show body language. This could be the newest kind of video calling and how that really evolved the telephone?

"Here are some of the science-backed ways that our dogs can help us cope with difficult circumstances and stay well" https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_science_ba...

It depends on the robot. If it was a cherry 2000 style robot I'm thinking that wouldn't be too bad. Not only in a sexual sense, although that is one aspect of loneliness, but even without that they are anatomically correct fully autonomous robots that have an AI level interaction that can provide domestic assistance.

If that's the robot friend you're promising me I think a lot of people would be fine with it.