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By Cynthia Corzo
Increasingly, older adults are turning to human-like robots for companionship and healthcare management. But new research from FIU Business finds that U.S. seniors have concerns about digital dependency, costs and data security when relying on robotic support.
Researchers found that wellness monitoring, companionship and maintaining independence are among the leading drivers of respondents' willingness to accept the tech-forward robots.
The robots are equipped with a camera, microphones and speakers. They can respond to voice commands, answer questions, play music, and provide reminders for appointments or medications, as well as suggest activities such as stretching exercises, brain games and social events. The robots monitor patients' vital signs and in-home activities, providing a direct communication channel with their primary care provider.
Published in the September 2024 issue of Technology in Society, the research examined older adults' knowledge and understanding of companion robots and their attitudes toward using them in their daily lives, as well as challenges they might encounter.
The mixed-method research included open-ended survey interviews, conducted in January 2023, with 182 adults aged 65 or older in the U.S. to determine their familiarity with artificial intelligence and awareness about smart devices. Other questions asked participants to identify the benefits and advantages, perceived concerns and risks, overall opinions, and willingness to use companion robots.
Of the participants, 76% described their opinion of companion robots as positive, 24% negative. Their willingness to use the robots was also significant – 65% indicated they would use them, 29% said they might use them in the future and 6% said they would not.
"Some mentioned the stigma that others might assume they have a chronic issue, which is why they need to use a robot," said Pouyan Esmaeil Zadeh, associate professor of information systems and business analytics at FIU Business, who conducted the research. "They need to be educated that using a robot doesn't mean they can't do their personal tasks alone; it means they need some support to do things faster and more easily."
Esmaeil Zadeh noted that this data could be used by technology designers, insurance companies, senior nursing homes and healthcare providers to maximize the benefits delivered by the robots, mitigate users' data concerns and implement the correct policies to manage patients' wellbeing.
Esmaeil Zadeh conducted the research with Mahed Maddah of Suffolk University.
