Biography
Biography: Theodore Albert Metzler
Abstract
The science and technologies of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics currently are presenting life-like machines that are claimed to furnish companionship in the nursing care of older people. However, critics of the claim have objected that such robots are inauthentic companions, substituting mere mimicry of human behavior for the real presence of conscious caring provided by human nurses. Viewing the robots as deceptive in this fashion has prompted additional complaints concerning psychological, moral and spiritual implications for people who interact with the machines. On the other hand, various cultural factors tend to support either setting aside or denying these criticisms. In today’s presentation we shall argue that there are some strong philosophical and scientific reasons for supporting the critics, although future development of a particular AI architecture might introduce an intriguing possibility of robotic nurses that really could care for their patients. In either case, the growing prospect of robotic nurses clearly merits attention in the geriatric healthcare community.