ABSTRACT
The author is generally optimistic about emerging technologies, but at least one use of social robotics gives her a pause. This chapter expresses her worry about it while recognizing some tangible benefits to its responsible use. It uses the Aristotle's analogy to make sense of ethical issues in social robotics for geriatric care. Companionate robots are used to alleviate loneliness in geriatric patients. Their ability to do so derives from their apparent responsiveness and emotional appeal. But this introduces the threat of a false appearance of friendship, especially to patients suffering from cognitive impairments. Many sociable robots are designed to address the tangible costs of loneliness. Among the most well-known of these is Paro, a robotic baby seal who has even been approved as a medical device by the FDA. The subjective experience of friendship provides some goods, such as physical health and alleviation of perceived loneliness. Sometimes, competing goods will need to be balanced against each other.
