AI Robots
as Friends:
The "Social Option"
Walter Crismareanu, Founder & CEO Tipalo
is back for another in our series: Thinking Along with Walter.
Walter always offers up incisive, way out-of-the-box thinking, drizzled over with wit, wry humor, insight, and a rash of particularly refreshing, very-Walter-like observations and engaging perspectives on AI and robotics. Thanks, Walter.
Neuroscience News: New Report
“While it is increasingly difficult to make new friends as an adult to help offset loneliness, making a companion [AI] robot to support socially isolated older adults may prove to be a promising solution.” —
“Increased loneliness and social isolation may affect a third of the world population, and come with serious health consequences, such as increased risk for mental illness, obesity, dementia, and early death.
“A growing body of research on companion AI robots suggests they can reduce stress and loneliness and can help older people remain healthy and active in their homes.”
Key Facts
1. LONELINESS affecting around a third of the world’s population, carries serious health risks comparable to those of smoking.
2. AI-EMPOWERED COMPANION ROBOTS can engage in more spontaneous conversations and imitate the voices of loved ones, aiding in reducing stress and loneliness.
3. The proposed “COMPANION ROBOT IMPACT SCALE” [see explanation below*] aims to quantify the benefits of companion robots on physical health and loneliness.
The disease: loneliness
“Loneliness may even be as pernicious a health factor as smoking cigarettes, according to the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D.
The number of Americans with no close friends has quadrupled since 1990, according to the Survey Center on American Life. Increased LONELINESS & SOCIAL ISOLATION may affect a third of the world’s population, and come with serious health consequences, such as increased risk for mental illness, obesity, dementia, and early death.”
See related: Robots for the Lonely Crowd & Aching Hearts
The cure: AI robots
“A growing body of research on companion robots suggests they can reduce stress and loneliness and can help older people remain healthy and active in their homes. Doctors are mostly on board, too, the authors point out. But we need to be careful to build in rules to ensure they are moral and trustworthy.
While it is increasingly difficult to make new friends as an adult to help offset loneliness, making a companion robot to support socially isolated older adults may prove to be a promising solution. But until society prioritizes social connectedness and eldercare, robots are a solution for the millions of isolated people who have no other solutions.”
See related: The Coming Age of “Relational AI” in Robots
“AI that can understand us as people and treat us as people”
EU plans
“In the not-too-distant future, elderly people who live alone may be reminded to take their medicine, have books read to them, and be offered a metaphorical, shoulder to cry on – by a robot. A new generation of robots are being designed to stay closer to home – caring for aging adults and young children.
As Europe’s aging population places increasing strain on healthcare services – with the share of older people in the total population expected to increase significantly in the coming decades – robots could provide a useful solution.”
Walter’s “MY2CENTS”:
1. What type of AI will be used? hashtag#llms or hashtag#cognitive hashtag#ai?
2. Is this “project” supervised by private companies or some government entity?
3. Who will be responsible for whom in terms of insurance?
4. What about legal issues, because “AI hashtag#robots can interact with you in hashtag#physical, hashtag#emotional and hashtag#mental ways”, which is far more complicated than any hashtag#influence from online social networks or media.
LINKS
EU – Elderly Care? Bring in the Robots https://lnkd.in/eWvw7eSd
Humanoid Robots in Our Home by 2025 – https://lnkd.in/eaNGRZ9B
*A “Companion Robot Impact Scale” (often referred to as “Co-Bot-I-7”) is a measurement tool designed to assess the impact of companion robots on a person’s physical health and level of loneliness, essentially gauging how effective these robots are in mitigating loneliness and potentially improving overall well-being; it is currently being developed by researchers to study the potential benefits of companion robots for older adults or those experiencing social isolation.
Key points about the Companion Robot Impact Scale:
- Focus on loneliness and health:
The primary goal of this scale is to measure how companion robots influence a person’s feelings of loneliness and their overall physical health.
- Potential for positive impact:
Early research suggests that companion robots may have a positive impact on reducing loneliness and stress, potentially improving quality of life for users.
- Measuring effectiveness:
By using this scale, researchers can evaluate the effectiveness of different companion robot designs and functionalities in addressing loneliness and other related concerns.