Limiting Loneliness through Language: Exploring the Uses of AI Language Models in Elder Care
Technology is a powerful vehicle of social change, as it disrupts extant social structures and systemic processes to make them easier and more convenient. As such, when used properly, it can be harnessed for the cause of social progress by empowering vulnerable demographics.
One such demographic who is on the verge of witnessing radical benefits owing to technology are the elderly. One of the most impinging maladies that afflict the elderly happens to be the existential threat of loneliness and social isolation, as the elderly are often excluded from social groups and communities, whether deliberately or inadvertently. As such, the elderly are often forced to live away from their families, for they are socially considered to be extraneous burdens. These conditions are further exacerbated owing to the onset of physiological degeneration due to aging which requires them to have a network of caregiving.
This is important because data collected by the National Poll on healthy aging in the US reports that one in three adults between the age of 50-80 reported feeling isolated from others in 2023. Often, feelings of loneliness are quite nuanced, as even when adults have their family and friends to check up on them, they might still feel lonely because they perceive that care as emanating from duty rather than love. This is concerning because such acute feelings of loneliness can often precipitate chronic feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress.
Thus, researchers have begun inquiries into whether robots can curb loneliness. Even as research in this area is nascent, there glimmer beacons of hope that can potentially assuage the social isolation of the elderly. Specifically, artificial intelligence technologies have a lot to offer in this direction, because of their abilities to mimic human speech. Thus, AI-powered robots and chatbots can simulate actual conversations with the elderly, conversations which are flavorful and interesting, and thereby offer possibilities to the elderly to feel cared for and heard. Not only can such chatbots ask basic questions, but they are also able to delve into some conversational depths to construct a convincing facade that the robot is actually capable of understanding and emotionally responding to what an individual is saying.
Such conversations are quite critical in building up the mental and emotional fortitude of the elderly. By simulating human warmth and care, artificial intelligence technologies go far beyond simply taking care of utilitarian needs such as switching on lights and playing music. This is a great example then of how technologies are deeply tangled with social issues and can thus facilitate interesting results.
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