“数字亲人”能否温暖“银色孤独”？

Group 1 - The first Cross-Strait (Xiamen) Silver Hair Expo showcased a "companion robot" designed for emotional support and safety monitoring, highlighting a shift in elder care technology from mere assistance to addressing emotional needs [1] - The robot aims to alleviate loneliness among the elderly by providing daily conversation, medication reminders, and emergency responses, serving as an extension of distant family members' care [1] - This innovation reflects a deeper understanding of the long-ignored need for emotional companionship in the aging population, emphasizing the importance of emotional dignity and psychological needs in elder care technology [1] Group 2 - Ethical considerations arise regarding the use of highly realistic digital representations of deceased individuals, questioning whether this serves as a healing mechanism or interferes with the grieving process [2] - The robot's emotional interactions may not fully align with the intrinsic spiritual needs of the elderly, potentially simplifying or romanticizing the complexities of elder care in the context of the "silver economy" [2] - The technology behind the robot integrates existing modules like voice cloning and obstacle avoidance, but its capabilities remain limited to companionship and security, lacking the ability to perform complex household tasks or replace human caregivers [2] Group 3 - The future development of elder care robots will evolve alongside advancements in artificial intelligence, materials science, and emotional computing, with a focus on enhancing the quality of life and dignity for the elderly [3] - The true measure of success for these technologies will be their ability to respond to the emotional and care needs that become more pronounced with aging, embodying a human-centered approach [3]