Team name 1408
The idea of robotic companions for the elderly initially comes off as a good idea to help the elderly with mental and physical problems that may arise with their age. Throughout our study of the topic as a group we came across a multitude of positive aspects that this piece of technology could invoke, with real life examples of it that have already been made at this point in time. However, due to the fact that this topic is not just an idea, and there are not only real examples of it but many concepts of different types of robotic companions in the works, we need to look at the ethical side of it and determine what possible solutions there are to the risks that may be posed. Firstly, there is the fact that there are people who may be creating these types of robots without the elderly’s best interest in mind, their target audience could possibly expand to the caregivers of the elderly as well in the sense that the robotic companion would be there to make the caregivers life easier as opposed to the elderly. This would, in turn, create a bigger market for robotic companions where the focus would be more on monetary gain rather than benefiting the elderly. While this would be hard to prevent in its entirety, people would just need to be aware if this type of marketing came into play, and those who are creating robotic companions for the sole purpose of improving the elderly’s health and well-being should be able to recognize if something like this were to happen and perhaps alert others. Another thing to keep in mind with this type of technology is that those who are elderly and with cognitive problems such as dementia may be deceived into thinking they have an exaggerated relationship with their robotic companion, this would pose a severe problem for not just the elderly person affected but their family as well. If this were to happen, it is possible the elderly person will neglect their relationships with other people around them which would negatively affect the mental health of both parties. I believe that in order for the topic of robotic companions for the elderly to continue in development, it may be of use to ensure those receiving the companion are fit to be in the presence of such a device and perhaps have regular monitoring if they are known to have any cognitive issues. It would also be of interest to ensure the elderly person’s family know about the implementation of the robotic companion in their loved one’s life and make sure they are aware of the possible outcomes of it whether they are good or bad. In my opinion, this technology has a lot of potential to help and aid elderly people whether it be to keep them company or help them in a more physical way, but in order for it to be successful there would need to be a lot of work on its design and purpose, as well as keeping it safe to ensure the ethical issues connected to it are kept at a minimum.