Using robots to modify demanding or impolite behavior of older people

As part of a large scale qualitative study (conducted in France, the UK and the Netherlands) of potential users’ views on the ethical values that should govern the design and programming of social robots for older people, we elicited responses to a scenario where a robot is programmed to modify an older person’s rude behavior. Participants’ responses ranged from outright disagreement with robotized efforts to change characteristic behavior, to approval as a means to an end. We discuss these views against the background of respect for autonomy, the differences and similarities between robot and human carers, and behavior modification in the context of rehabilitation, where the ‘no gain without pain’ principle is commonly used to justify what would otherwise seem callous. We conclude that such programming may be acceptable in the context of the rehabilitation and promotion of the independence of older people