July 3, 2024
SSW Associate Professor and Gerontologist Clara Berridge’s research focuses on the ethical and policy implications of digital technologies used in elder care. In recent media appearances, she discussed her research on the role of social robots and AI in elder care and questioned the adequacy of robots replacing human interaction.
In a 2023 study led by Berridge, 29 people living with mild Alzheimer’s disease were asked how they felt about robots and other assistive technologies. Their key concerns were privacy — they wanted to know if the technology was monitoring them — and loss of human connection. Most participants said that they would prefer visits and phone calls from friends and family, or social outings and activities, over what a robot could offer.
To read and listen to her interviews with scientific journal Nature and BBC podcast The Artificial Human, follow the links below.
Nature Magazine, Are robots the solution to the crisis in older-person care? (April 25, 2024)
BBC Radio 4, The Artificial Human, Can AI Look After Me in Old Age? (May 29, 2024)