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https://theconversation.com/ai-companies-promise-to-fix-aged-care-but-theyre-selling-a-false-narrative-275822>
"Australia’s Royal Commission into Aged Care found a broken system. Now,
technology companies are promising artificial intelligence (AI) will fix
everything, from staff shortages to older people’s loneliness.
This is known as agetech, an industry projected to reach a global value of
A$170 billion by 2030. But its promised “fixes” obscure what is actually
breaking aged care.
In our new study, we analysed how 33 agetech companies selling AI for aged care
in Australia, East Asia, Europe and North America market their products,
including monitoring tools and companion robots.
We found their websites, promotional materials and product descriptions depict
aged care as inefficient, understaffed and overwhelmed by a growing ageing
population. Older people are too frail or too many. Care workers are
overstretched. Human care is flawed.
And AI is presented as the answer. As the agetech industry grows, governments
are also subscribing to this vision of technological rescue.
Yet our research shows these narratives distract from structural problems and
reinforce ageism, even as Australia’s new
Aged Care Act commits to a stronger
focus on dignity and autonomy.
Before we accept AI as the cure, we need to understand what we are being sold."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
