Open AccessTHE RISE OF ROBOT PETS AND DISCOURSES OF TECHNO-COMPANIONSHIP IN LATER LIFE
Author(s) -
Constance Lafontaine
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
innovation in aging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2399-5300
DOI - 10.1093/geroni/igz038.083
Subject(s) - robot , sophistication , argument (complex analysis) , interpersonal relationship , human–robot interaction , interpersonal communication , psychology , sociology , internet privacy , social psychology , computer science , social science , artificial intelligence , medicine
Robot pets of varying degrees of sophistication are advertised as ideal companions for older adults, with claims that they support their emotional and cognitive needs. A new generation of robot pets (e.g., Lovot) is emerging equipped with internet connections, recognition software, surveillance capacity, and AI platforms to mimic desired aspects of animal-human relationships. This paper draws upon promotional materials gathered at the Consumer Electronics Show 2019 and interviews with robot designers, to probe what the robotization of human-animal relationships tells us about shifting notions of companionship through the life course. The argument is that robot pets are inscribed within discourses that instrumentalize human-animal-technology entanglements and position digital technologies as idealized solutions to perceived age-related problems. Theoretical ideas from animals studies add a creative dimension to aging studies to explore what the societal enthusiasm for robot pets reveals about our understanding of the lived material and relational worlds of older adults.