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RE: ROBOT ERA #1 - My report from a European Competition of Robotics in Italy
It looks fascinating, although it doesn't look as if those robots will make my nursing job obsolete any time soon.
As for caring for the elderly and the sick, while robots might one day be able to help significantly with the heavy lifting, I still think, unless we want a totally dehumanized world, the human factor is important psychologically. We all need hugs and smiles and other signs of affection once in a while.
I totally agree with you @evehuman, but I think that people who work for care have to avoid certain behaviors if they don't want be easily substituted.
Then, even if I think, like you, that the man factor is important psychologically, at the same time, I've spoken in some interviews with people whom said me that they hypothetically prefer to be "cured" by robot. Why? Because it would remove them from the embarrassment of old age, they would feel relieved of judgments and unnecessary comments, and so on.
As I said in the post, I think that in the future we'll think for an integration of robot in human activities.
You are right for some people it would feel less embarrassing to be care for by a robot. But for others it would be more important to not be alone and getting a some comforting words and a hug, having someone to talk to you or sing with you or read for you in an interactive way. Loneliness is very depressing for old people.
It's not that I'm afraid of losing my job. I'll be long retired before the robots developed enough and affordable enough to replace me, what I'm afraid of is further isolation of people from one another, further dehumanization of society and a time when only a fraction of the adult population will be employed and the rest will be starved to death.