Mihailov Emilian, Wangmo Tenzin
Research Centre in Applied Ethics, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest, București, Romania.
Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Sci Eng Ethics. 2025 Jul 28;31(4):20. doi: 10.1007/s11948-025-00547-y.
While social robots offer potential benefits like task assistance and companionship, their integration raises concerns about the erosion of human connection and the dehumanization of care. Through a qualitative study of older adults, family caregivers, and professional caregivers in Switzerland, we examined their perceptions of social robots and their understanding of the "human contact" in eldercare. Findings revealed the importance of emotional warmth, complex social interactions, and empathy. However, participants also acknowledged the potential benefits of such robots in specific tasks. We argue that the ethical assessment of care robots should focus on determining when robotic contact is desirable. By understanding the limitations of human connection and that humanness is a dual character concept (both descriptive and normative), we identify scenarios where social robots may offer advantages, such as providing care without judging and stimulate social engagement. Robotic "touch" can potentially complement human care in certain situations, preserving older persons' dignity and improving their quality of life.
虽然社交机器人能带来任务协助和陪伴等潜在益处，但其融入引发了对人际联系削弱和护理非人性化的担忧。通过对瑞士老年人、家庭护理人员和专业护理人员的定性研究，我们考察了他们对社交机器人的看法以及对老年护理中“人际接触”的理解。研究结果揭示了情感温暖、复杂社交互动和同理心的重要性。然而，参与者也认可此类机器人在特定任务中的潜在益处。我们认为，对护理机器人的伦理评估应侧重于确定何时需要机器人接触。通过理解人际联系的局限性以及人性是一个双重特征概念（兼具描述性和规范性），我们确定了社交机器人可能具有优势的场景，比如提供无评判的护理并促进社交参与。机器人“接触”在某些情况下可能潜在地补充人类护理，维护老年人的尊严并改善他们的生活质量。
