Care robots in residential homes for elderly people: an ethical examination of deception, care, and consent
We are facing a dire social problem: although life expectancy is increasing, time spent living independently is not, meaning that the eldercare sector is experiencing a worrying shortfall of nursing staff - a problem which is only getting worse. Robots designed for caring purposes – carebots – prese...
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| Format: | Thesis (University of Nottingham only) |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
2023
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/76166/ |
| _version_ | 1848800895082430464 |
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| author | Lancaster, Karen |
| author_facet | Lancaster, Karen |
| author_sort | Lancaster, Karen |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | We are facing a dire social problem: although life expectancy is increasing, time spent living independently is not, meaning that the eldercare sector is experiencing a worrying shortfall of nursing staff - a problem which is only getting worse. Robots designed for caring purposes – carebots – present a possible solution: they can perform some of the work which has been hitherto undertaken by human nurses. But their introduction is not without problems.
This thesis examines some pertinent questions relating to the introduction of carebots into residential homes for elderly people. Chapter 1 examines what robots are, and provides a way in which we can differentiate between robots of different types, helping us to understand what ethical issues are at stake for different types of robot. Chapter 2 focuses on what deception consists of, and discusses why deception and lying are often seen as impermissible. Chapter 3 discusses different types of robo-deception, and analyses both the likelihood and the normative significance of their occurring. Chapter 4 is a study of a particular form of robo-deception, which I call fake compassion. This is when robots appear to care for patients when in fact they do not: I examine the extent to which this is morally problematic. Chapter 5 examines dignity: what it is, and why it is important. Chapter 6 focuses on consent: its importance in different spheres, and how consent-seeking can promote autonomy, bodily integrity, dignity, and trust. Chapter 7 builds on the previous two chapters, and demonstrates that it is ethically essential that carebots (and human nurses) obtain patients' consent prior to providing care, because failing to do so can reduce their dignity, and these reductions can be cumulative and devastating.
This thesis is not merely an interesting thought experiment or a work of science fiction; rather, it is a real-world necessity that carebots take appropriate actions which promote the dignity and best interests of patients: our grandparents, parents, and in time, us and our descendants. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:58:49Z |
| format | Thesis (University of Nottingham only) |
| id | nottingham-76166 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:58:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-761662024-02-07T15:56:53Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/76166/ Care robots in residential homes for elderly people: an ethical examination of deception, care, and consent Lancaster, Karen We are facing a dire social problem: although life expectancy is increasing, time spent living independently is not, meaning that the eldercare sector is experiencing a worrying shortfall of nursing staff - a problem which is only getting worse. Robots designed for caring purposes – carebots – present a possible solution: they can perform some of the work which has been hitherto undertaken by human nurses. But their introduction is not without problems. This thesis examines some pertinent questions relating to the introduction of carebots into residential homes for elderly people. Chapter 1 examines what robots are, and provides a way in which we can differentiate between robots of different types, helping us to understand what ethical issues are at stake for different types of robot. Chapter 2 focuses on what deception consists of, and discusses why deception and lying are often seen as impermissible. Chapter 3 discusses different types of robo-deception, and analyses both the likelihood and the normative significance of their occurring. Chapter 4 is a study of a particular form of robo-deception, which I call fake compassion. This is when robots appear to care for patients when in fact they do not: I examine the extent to which this is morally problematic. Chapter 5 examines dignity: what it is, and why it is important. Chapter 6 focuses on consent: its importance in different spheres, and how consent-seeking can promote autonomy, bodily integrity, dignity, and trust. Chapter 7 builds on the previous two chapters, and demonstrates that it is ethically essential that carebots (and human nurses) obtain patients' consent prior to providing care, because failing to do so can reduce their dignity, and these reductions can be cumulative and devastating. This thesis is not merely an interesting thought experiment or a work of science fiction; rather, it is a real-world necessity that carebots take appropriate actions which promote the dignity and best interests of patients: our grandparents, parents, and in time, us and our descendants. 2023-12-15 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en cc_by https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/76166/1/PUBLIC-KLancaster-4342643-Thesis-Final.pdf application/pdf en cc_by https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/76166/7/WHOLE%20THESIS%20final%20final.pdf Lancaster, Karen (2023) Care robots in residential homes for elderly people: an ethical examination of deception, care, and consent. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. Robots carebots care nursing eldercare elderly people deception dignity consent applied ethics roboethics |
| spellingShingle | Robots carebots care nursing eldercare elderly people deception dignity consent applied ethics roboethics Lancaster, Karen Care robots in residential homes for elderly people: an ethical examination of deception, care, and consent |
| title | Care robots in residential homes for elderly people: an ethical examination of deception, care, and consent |
| title_full | Care robots in residential homes for elderly people: an ethical examination of deception, care, and consent |
| title_fullStr | Care robots in residential homes for elderly people: an ethical examination of deception, care, and consent |
| title_full_unstemmed | Care robots in residential homes for elderly people: an ethical examination of deception, care, and consent |
| title_short | Care robots in residential homes for elderly people: an ethical examination of deception, care, and consent |
| title_sort | care robots in residential homes for elderly people: an ethical examination of deception, care, and consent |
| topic | Robots carebots care nursing eldercare elderly people deception dignity consent applied ethics roboethics |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/76166/ |