Robots are coming - but who will they care for?

These applications highlight genuine opportunities. For some patients and families, robots may provide additional support, consistency and accessibility. For healthcare workers facing rising workloads and burnout, they may offer practical assistance and free up time for more complex human-centred care.

However, care is not just a task that can be automated and left to its own devices says Dr Barton. ‘It involves trust, dignity, accountability, cultural understanding and human relationships. When care functions are delegated to embodied forms of artificial intelligence, risks that we must be ready for, will arise.’

‘These include surveillance and privacy concerns as robots collect data from intimate home and care environments. Questions also remain about responsibility when systems malfunction, provide inappropriate responses or fail to meet patient needs.’

Equity concerns are equally important. Technologies designed around particular cultural assumptions, languages or care practices may not serve diverse communities. Rural, remote and under-resourced services may struggle to access or maintain these systems. Without deliberate attention to inclusion, benefits may flow disproportionately to those already well served by existing healthcare systems.

Dr Kachouie and Dr Barton agree that discussions should centre around an equity-first design not solely on whether robots can perform useful tasks.

‘Care robots should not be treated as consumer gadgets that can simply be purchased and deployed. Their introduction into care settings requires robust governance spanning design, implementation and long-term evaluation’ says Dr Kachouie.

‘That means involving patients, families, carers and healthcare workers in inclusive co-design,’ agrees Dr Barton. ‘It means ensuring strong privacy and data protection safeguards. It requires clear human oversight and accountability, effective integration into clinical and care workflows, ongoing maintenance and support, and transparent responsibility for both providers and technology vendors.’

Most importantly, evidence not only about what robots can do, but about who benefits, under what circumstances and over what timeframes, is essential in a robust discussion.

The choices being made now will shape the future of care. Robots may ultimately play a valuable role in supporting patients, families and healthcare professionals. But if we fail to respond to difficult questions about safety, equity and accountability, we risk building systems that replicate or deepen existing gaps in care.

The future of care should not be determined by what technology can do alone. It should be guided by what people need and by a clear understanding of who, exactly, care robots are designed to care for.