I’ve been thinking about what it might really feel like to have a robot take care of you in old age. The idea sounds futuristic, but after reading this BBC article, it feels closer than we think.
On one hand, it’s easy to see the appeal. A robot could help with daily routines, make sure you take your medicine, and even provide some companionship. It could mean staying in your own home longer, feeling safe, and not relying so heavily on others. There’s real dignity in that kind of independence.
But I can’t help wondering what would be lost. Machines can remind, lift, and even talk—but can they really care? There’s something irreplaceable about human presence, about being seen and understood by another person.
If I had to choose, I’d hope for a mix of both. Let the robots handle the chores and safety checks, but keep the human connection at the heart of care. Growing old shouldn’t mean trading empathy for efficiency.
Maybe the real challenge isn’t building smarter robots, it’s remembering what makes us human.
Hidden away in a lab in north-west London three black metal robotic hands move eerily on an engineering work bench. No claws, or pincers, but four fingers and a thumb opening and closing slowly, with joints in all the right places.
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