The proposal to delegate elder care to robots hides an uncomfortable reality: the abandonment of the public dependency system. Instead of investing in healthcare and social staff, a technological solution is sought that dehumanizes the elderly and evades collective responsibility. The issue is not about innovating, but about funding public healthcare and creating dignified jobs for caregivers.
Robotic assistants: surveillance in the shape of a metal pet 🤖
Current prototypes include articulated arms for administering medication and fall sensors with automatic alerts. Some models integrate facial recognition to detect sadness or confusion. However, their real function is to reduce personnel costs: a 12,000-euro robot replaces an assistant with an annual contract. Technology advances, but the debate remains political: replacing people or reinforcing teams. The answer lies in budgets, not algorithms.
My robot brings me tea, but it doesn't tell me a bad joke 😅
Manufacturers promise that robots will converse with the elderly. Great: now your grandmother can tell her life story to a vacuum cleaner with a speaker. Meanwhile, the system cuts places in nursing homes and the government boasts about digitalization. Next up will be a drone that applauds when bingo ends. If we continue like this, we'll soon see ads: Replace your caregiver with a robot. Battery not included. Humanity, neither.