'Care-bots' for the elderly are dangerous, warns artificial intelligence professor

‘Care-bots’ for the elderly are dangerous, warns artificial intelligence professor

Computer companions for elderly people are ‘emotionally dangerous’ and will never be good enough to take the place of real human contact, an artificial intelligence expert has warned. In December the University of Singapore introduced ‘Nadine’ the world’s most lifelike robot whose creators say will eventually provide childcare and offer friendship to lonely pensioners. More basic ‘care-bots’ which simply show an image of a computerised face are already on the market for as little as £3,000. But Maggie Boden, professor of Cognitive Science at the University of Sussex, warned that machines would never be able to understand abstract ideas such as loyalty or hurt. “Computer companions worry me very much,” Prof Boden told an audience at The Hay Literary Festival at Hay-on-Wye, Wales.  “On the face of it, it could…


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