A new study from AI experts at the University of Oxford and University of Melbourne reveals that men are much more likely to support the idea of being cared for in their homes by a robot when they are infirm or elderly, than women.
The study, drawn from 28 European countries and published in the journal Community, Work and Family, assesses people’s attitudes towards having robots caring for oneself, providing services and companionship, when one is infirm or elderly.
The researchers find that individuals differ substantially in how comfortable they are with using technology to fulfil their care needs, with local context and personal factors shaping attitudes towards being cared for by robots.
Key findings of the study:
- Overall, people are not very enthusiastic about being cared for by robots.
- European men are more open to adopting robotic technologies for their own care than women when they get infirm or elderly.
- More educated men and women are more supportive of using robots for their own care.
- People working in professional, managerial or white-collar jobs are more supportive of using robots for their own care than those in non-professional occupations.
- Younger people and those with experience of using robots in work or domestic contexts are more open to using them in the future to help with their own care.
- Those living in local communities with higher levels of female employment and low levels of spending on adult care more likely to accept robots as part of their care package in old age.
“Care technologies will only become more salient as populations age, women’s workforce participation increases and technology advances. The questions we need to ask are how comfortable are individuals with letting AI-powered technologies like robots take care of them? And what might be shaping their preferences?” said lead author, Professor Ekaterina Hertog, Associate Professor at the Oxford Internet Institute & the Institute for Ethics in AI, University of Oxford.