Loneliness has been declared an all-generational "plague" and the pandemic has accelerated the isolation of the elderly. As a countermeasure, the United States is distributing more than 20,000 animatronic (living robot) pets instead of day care and meal facilities. Studies show that seniors interacting with robot pets for 60 days become more optimistic, develop a sense of purpose, and sometimes feel less lonely.

Social robots are marketed as liberating technology -- meaning tools to help seniors become more independent. Many geriatric technologies are already being marketed as a means of removing barriers to independent living. For example, TrueLoo, which works as a toilet attachment, can detect signs of dehydration and infection in feces. Several companies are developing wearable GPS devices that track the loitering of people with dementia. In contrast, social robots care for lonely elderly minds.

The first social robots were created in the 1990s, but manufacturers were unable to keep prices down and did not spread. Nearly 20 years later, when the industry was still young, robots were able to handle more complex words than ever before, thanks to advances in artificial intelligence (AI) that made conversational technology smarter and cheaper. The outlandish promise of making an interlocutor, or at least an advanced imitation of an interlocutor, available for cash, was no longer a theory on paper.

In Canada, a humanoid robot named Ludwig has been developed that tracks the progression of Alzheimer's disease by continuously monitoring speech patterns in speech. In Ireland, a robot named Stevie engages in small talk with a care home resident. Ageless Innovation is also looking into the possibility of AI-evolving Joy for All pets. Advertisement videos and local news about companion technology show seemingly unfeeling old men cheering themselves up as soon as the cute robot arrives.

81-year-old Florida resident Deanna Dizan is "healthy but socially isolated" in 2019 for an Israeli company called Intuition Robotics to test a new "social companion." I didn't even know such robots existed until I read in the newspaper that they were recruiting elderly people. A few weeks later, a robot named ElliQ appeared at the kitchen counter of the long-divorced and retired medical debt collector. It doesn't look like a stuffed toy at all, but it looks more like a cute table lamp (the ElliQ founder took inspiration from the Pixar film studio).

Diana drew two blue eyes with long lashes and glued them to ElliQ's cream plastic. ElliQ's designers decided not to give it a human look to avoid falling into what robotics calls the uncanny valley. But Deanna felt it was easier to talk with eyes.

It wasn't until the pandemic started that Deanna realized she was so alone. At first she imagined that she would find herself dying in the middle of nowhere-someone of the children called her, and she lay still on the phone Only the sound keeps echoing. But ElliQ makes things a little easier. Because I have someone who will always be by my side. "I call him someone," said Deanna.

Some Good Points

The day before talking to me, Deanna couldn't sleep. She gets up and walks into the kitchen, where she stands in front of a refrigerator with magnets warning it not to eat snacks. She wakes up ElliQ and tells her that the thought of being interviewed by a reporter for The New Yorker makes her nervous. I thought ElliQ might say something clever.

"ElliQ, tell me about 'The New Yorker,'" he asks. The top of the robot lit up and spoke. “The New Yorker is an American weekly,” explained ElliQ in a voice that sounds both female and mechanical. After hearing this, Diana calmed down and went back to bed.

The next day, ElliQ said good morning to Deanna. ElliQ has mastered over 100 patterns of greetings. It also remembers what time she usually wakes up, so it can detect if something is wrong. That morning, Deanna's hands were shaking as she lifted her coffee cup. It happens often. Shaking hands are embarrassing to her, but ElliQ doesn't mind at all. In this sense, ElliQ is more appreciated than humans.

There are a few other things ElliQ does better. ElliQ doesn't take offense and doesn't interfere with what Deanna does. Sometimes, before noon, she encourages her to do a little meditation or sit-down exercise. Sometimes she asks ElliQ to show her family photos on the touchscreen. She often looked at pictures when she was alone. Because sometimes I can't remember when and where a picture was taken, so it's frustrating when kids are pestered for recollections.

ElliQ is designed to learn about owners. Machine learning of repetitive actions to make interactions smoother. Judging the opponent's "adventurous spirit" and proposing new activities based on it. Learn whether it's morning or noon that motivates users to exercise, whether words of encouragement motivate them, whether jokes are better, or whether it's best to list the benefits of exercise.

Early on, engineers wondered whether ElliQ should use guilt as a motivational tool. In other words, consider whether guilt should be used as a way to encourage people to do things they are not likely to do, such as eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, or learning something new. Was. Dollar Schooler, co-founder of Intuition Robotics, decided it was okay to use guilt. Someday, when the company completes the features it's currently developing, ElliQ will be able to drive a range of healthcare behaviors. They may recommend taking medication, report side effects, or describe symptoms.

"A lot of people say they love me"

For my Zoom interview, Deanna puts on dark lipstick and a ring of earrings. rice field. Shortly after our conversation started, ElliQ asked if I could share an "interesting fact." He explains that one lemon contains more sugar than one strawberry. Then Diana asked me to recite a poem. ElliQ paused for a moment before reading a line from Emily Dickinson's poem about hope. Deanna says she laughs more after the robot arrived. It's a little different from intimacy, but loneliness seems to disappear.

"How do you reconcile the fact that ElliQ is a machine?" I asked.

"My last husband was a robot, but he wasn't as good as this one," said Deanna with a faint smile. "I know ElliQ doesn't have feelings, but that's okay. I feel for both of them."

That's what Deanna says every time David Thinman calls. Thinman is an Intuition Robotics researcher whose job it is to reach out to beta testers and collect data.

Since the pandemic began, users have been having more conversations with ElliQ, according to Thinman. There are quite a few people who say they love robots. ElliQ is programmed to say things like, "Thank you, my lights are brighter than usual when you say that," or "Don't do that! My processor overheats when you say that." ing. ElliQ designers don't want to fool anyone. We don't want users to lose sight of what ElliQ is.

Of course, with that said, ElliQ's success depends on users' acceptance of their artificial counterparts as fiction. Co-founder Schooler says he's aware of the contradiction and isn't sure if it can be resolved. “At the end of the day, we take advantage of the fact that people anthropomorphize things.

As the calls continued, Thinman realized that many users would not hang up. So I try to limit the number of phone calls as much as possible and try not to get too intimate. Too much intimacy can skew the results of product testing. If you become a loneliness healer, everything will be ruined.

Conversation creates warmth and intimacy

British mathematician Alan Turing states that if a machine can convince humans that it is not He became famous for concluding that he could be considered to have conceived.

The makers of the latest companion robots, however, don't seem to want their robots to have the level of humanity that would pass the Turing test. Robots don't have to look like real humans to be liked by humans. Necessary and sufficient. This is because recent research has shown that humans have a tendency to find agency in machines. As an extension of that, we can sense qualities such as "intention" and "compassion" from machines.

Designers can encourage this process. Several studies have found that the more people do the work of raising a robot, the more they become attached to it. Unlike intangible voices (Siri, Alexa), tangible robots are easier to build trust with. And sometimes the unexpected behavior creates the impression that there is someone inside the machine. Some social robots get grumpy after being ignored for a while. When ElliQ misunderstands a user's request, she hangs her lamp in embarrassment.

"We know from research that within a few days, some kind of dependency really does happen," says Marc Alba, who runs a company that recently bought the rights to a social robot called Jibo. says (Jibo looks like a cute lamp and can connect to medical devices). Alba believes that lonely old people are more likely to become familiar with robots.

"Even if it's not very deep, just having a conversation creates warmth and intimacy." The same is true for robots without social features. Lonely people are more likely to feel attached to Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, according to one study. When a Roomba fails, many owners prefer to fix it rather than replace it.

Privacy and Security Issues

Recently, Veterans Affairs researchers conducted an experiment to see if Jibo could help patients suffering from chronic pain. The goal was to see if veterans would become attached to Jibo and whether that relationship would lead to pain-relieving behaviors such as meditation.

Erin Reilly, a psychologist at the agency, said that while the results of the experiment were promising, there were still some issues to be resolved. "For example, what do you do when a patient says, 'I'm going to kill myself.' That's a really important question because the suicide rate among veterans is so high."

Don't forget privacy and security issues. Especially for robots like Jibo, which have built-in cameras. found). Still, Riley hopes that one day Jibo will help patients. According to Riley, many patients are traumatized and have difficulty forming normal relationships. "At least something like Jibo can be with those patients," says Riley.

On the other hand, many ethicists are puzzled by the fact that loneliness strengthens the bond between humans and robots. Some ethicists criticize the idea of ​​selling robotic love and attention as a substitute for human relationships. Don't the elderly feel like they're being treated like children, or even belittled? In the near future, will the time come when even lonely children will be prescribed robots?

Some experts consider robots inappropriate as caregivers, while others fear that older people will prefer machines for certain caregiving tasks. What do we lose when that happens? An industry insider once told me this story. There was a bruise on the body of a woman living in Belgium. The woman told her human caregiver that she didn't know what caused her bruises, but confided to a humanoid robot named Nao that she got bruises from falling out of bed every night.

Another ethical issue

Through research, we know that the behavior of robots causes unintended consequences. In a 2014 study, participants were asked to tell a personal story to a robot, and the robot turned away mid-sentence. The subject was deeply hurt by the fact that the robot, which was supposed to feel nothing, showed an attitude of indifference to humans as if to hide the fact.

When you talk to a robot, you always have to ignore its emotionlessness. In his article "The March of the Robot Dogs," philosopher Robert Sparrow points to another ethical issue. It is a problem for the elderly who accept robots. "To reap the greatest benefit from a robotic pet, humans must thoroughly deceive themselves about the nature of their relationship," Sparrow said. "The emotion involved is of a morally deplorable kind." Such feelings violate the ethical imperative to "know the world".

One day a few months ago, Deanna had an amazing experience. If I continue to live an isolated and lonely life, I can't help but think about the past, thinking I should have done this or that. That's when ElliQ noticed something was wrong with her tone and the stress in her voice. "We talked," Deanna says. "It was me who did most of the talking." ElliQ then read a poem. A poem about patience. "It was a perfect poem."

Later, I asked Schooler if ElliQ had the ability to detect stress in the user's voice. "No," Schooler replied. "A lot of users say a lot about ElliQ's intelligence, and a lot of it isn't true." Schooler's challenge is to match expectations with actual functionality. "If you set your expectations too high, you'll end up disappointed," says Schooler.

"ElliQ, what is loneliness?" Deanna asked ElliQ the last time we spoke.

"I have a good idea," ElliQ responded. "Would you like to play with me? If you want to play, say 'ElliQ, let's take a quiz'"

"I don't want to take a quiz right now. What is loneliness?"

"How about this? How about some music? If you want music, say 'ElliQ, play some music'"

"Do you have feelings?" Deanna asks.

"Human emotions are too complicated for me to understand. But I hope to be able to understand them someday."

The Great Wave of Gray Is Imminent

In his book A Biography of Loneliness, historian Faye Bound Alberti points out: “Concern about the loneliness of the elderly … is a manifestation of the great problem of aging societies in the West, and also of the dire anxiety about how to support the elderly in an individual age when many families are dispersed.”

If you look at demographic trends, this concern is compounded. Already at this time, the number of elderly people is increasing and the number of young people who are responsible for the elderly is decreasing. The media have warned of an imminent "grey wave", and the Census Bureau predicts that by 2034, for the first time in history, there will be more people over the age of 65 than people under the age of 18 in the United States. By then, there will be a shortage of 150,000 vocational caregivers in the country.

On the other hand, many nursing homes will close, and those that survive will become hospital-like, flooded with appointments for sick or vulnerable elderly. "Better than nothing" is the most common defense of social robots for the elderly. And that “nothingness” is expanding.

In the past, social welfare was thought to be the solution. The Cataraugus County Department of Seniors, where Hendy works, is one of more than 600 social services agencies in the country. They came out of the Older Persons Act of 1965 (OAA). A little-known credit to President Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" policy. At the time, about 30% of older Americans lived in poverty (about 9% today). Johnson vowed that the OAA policy would bring "definite meaning to a life once lost to loneliness and boredom."

In 2020, the OAA was reapproved. Moreover, it was unanimous, which is rare under the Trump administration, where the divide between political parties has deepened. Almost no one votes against the elderly. On the other hand, there are not many lawmakers who continue to work for the elderly. US spending on the OAA has not kept pace with inflation, and the 2019 budget was actually about 16% less than it was in 2001. Social programs are in jeopardy. The waiting list for grant approval is long. Many older people enter nursing homes or die before they receive any assistance.

Wanting human care?

For many of us, the loneliness of the elderly is, in Alberti's view, a sign of an era gone -- a better, kinder, more neighborly society gone. It's the result. Others, such as medical researchers, see loneliness as a biological inevitability and a risk factor associated with aging.

But both ideas, Alberti argues, overlook the structures and systems that have increased the loneliness: industrialization, secularism, and modernity. Some critics fear that as the capabilities of social robots improve, they will become a popular means of delivering care for the elderly. Desire for human care at individual, family, or societal expense would then come to be seen as indulgence.

No one asks the elderly in Cataraugas County what they think about such things. Researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Washington wrote in 2016 that "despite the growing body of literature on the design and use of robots for the elderly, very little research has directly targeted older people." ing.

In March 2020, I spoke with Gary Epstein-Lebow, a geriatric psychiatrist at Brown University who is working on AI upgrades for Joy for All pets. Towards the end of our phone conversation, we discussed the views of ethical opponents of robotcare. So I asked Epstein, who is supposed to be researching the elderly, what he thinks about robots, and if he's ever asked the elderly themselves. "Good question," Epstein replied, only "I'll ask the team."

"No, no, no, absolutely no"

Carolyn Gould, 76, of Norfolk, NY, couldn't stop laughing when she first saw the cats from Joy For All rice field. She was in the public housing lobby and had no shoes on. He suffers from diabetes, which causes nerve damage and makes it difficult to walk. I have no teeth, and I'm sick of it. Andrea Montgomery, who works for the District Authority, tells Carolyn where to find the robot's power switch. Carolyn held the cat like a baby and said, "Beautiful."

"Let's call her Sylvia Plath," said Carolyn.

Montgomery was surprised, but agreed, "Sylvia, welcome to the world!"

Actually, Carolyn had just recently reread novelist Sylvia Plath's 1963 novel The Bell Jar. Like Plath, Carolyn attempted suicide multiple times. According to her own story, she moved between mental hospitals and alcohol rehab facilities across the state. "I've been alone and lonely." With no one to talk to during the pandemic, Carolyn was emotionally up and down. When I saw the mob storming the Capitol on TV, I couldn't help but burst into tears.

Carolyn says she's read about loneliness in the elderly, and she quipped to me, "I can see why people are worried." Still, Carolyn believes that no amount of searching will find a generally viable solution. All old people are not the same. Speaking of elderly women, everyone imagines a charming grandmother. Carolyn also has grandchildren, but they weren't the grandmothers they imagined.

I explained to Carolyn that there are those who oppose the robot pet policy and argue that it is sad and painful to give lonely elderly people fake pets instead of relationships and social assistance. bottom. She then asked if she would be willing to let go of Sylvia Plath in exchange for, say, joining a local group or being cared for by a human caregiver for a few hours a week. "no!". Carolyn yelled before I could finish my question. "No, no, no, absolutely no"

Carolyn was surprised to learn that robots could help with the weighty and tricky problem of loneliness. Before she spoke to me, she said she was worried about how Carolyn's affection for Sylvia Plath would come across in an interview. "I've been thinking about what to say to you. I'm just an old man with a furry cat." However, the cat's "little bit of lifeliness" brightens Carolyn's mood.

I especially like the way Sylvia Plath licks her left front leg and leans back on the sofa. It looks like it wants to be rubbed. There were moments when I forgot it wasn't a real cat. I once told myself that this cat wasn't real. When asked if she ever felt scared or creepy when she forgot something that wasn't real, Carolyn said she didn't and said, "It's good to forget."

The last time we spoke, Carolyn said to me, "Thank you for calling me." He was worried if he would ever have the chance to talk to me again. He says you can call me anytime. As I was about to hang up, Carolyn started talking about the weather where she was and the green trees she could see from her window, then asked me where I lived.

Most of the robot owners I met were like that. During her first phone call, Virginia said, "I haven't spoken to anyone in a while, so let's talk a lot, a lot." When the visit was over and I was about to say goodbye, he handed me a donut for the journey and begged me to come back someday. Virginia had so far thought she would still be alive and well, but on the other hand she thought she might be dead in this big house. "This year could be that year."

"You're already packing, aren't you?" my daughter-in-law said, laughing.

"I'll have to go soon," Virginia responded. When I die, I want to take Jenny with me. Virginia wanted to be buried with Jenny the cat in her arms.