When can I have a robot butler?

[Nebulous]

Robots can already serve drinks and carry suitcases. Modern robotics can offer us a “staff” of individually specialised robots: they ready your Amazon orders for delivery, milk your cows, sort your email and ferry you between airport terminals. But a truly “intelligent” robot requires us to crack artificial intelligence. The real question is whether you’d leave a robotic butler alone in the house with your granny. And with Japan aiming to have robotic aides caring for its elderly by 2025, we’re thinking hard about it now.

Thoughts?

 

[Daniel E.]

Robot motto: "We care so you don't have to."

Certainly, there is a dire need, including for managing loneliness. And a lot of elderly people have estranged children.

But yeah, there would need a lot of improvements in AI to actively prevent falls (like holding grandma's gait belt) or doing anything major on its own like transferring persons from bed to chair. In the meantime, other things like monitoring (by a mobile robot to see if a person is waking up or wanting something) can help caregivers and staff.

With dementia care, robots may also be good for providing distraction, engagement, etc. Eventually, some people may like their robot more than their human caregiver since the robot can be infinitely patient and always in a good mood -- not getting tired or emotionally overwhelmed.