The 21st century has placed a strange visitor in the rooms of the elderly, not always a nurse, a child, or a friend; it is a robot. With soft voices, programmed empathy, and blinking eyes. These robots promise companionship, medication reminders, and even playful banter. They do not get tired, nor do they complain. They also never ask for rest. Yet, beneath their robotic smiles lies an unsettling question: Can technology truly care, or does it only simulate the illusion of care?
In nations where ageing populations outnumber caregivers, robots appear as saviours. They ease loneliness, support daily routines, and reduce the strain on overstretched health systems. In Japan, robots sing lullabies to dementia patients; in Europe, they deliver meals and monitor vital signs. Nigeria and Africa, though still new to this frontier, will soon be called to consider such tools as their populations grey. But the ethical dilemmas rise like stubborn inquiries in the night.
Talking about dignity vs. utility, does outsourcing human emotional friendship to a robot reduce the elderly to data points and routines, stripping them of the dignity of human touch? In terms of privacy vs. surveillance, these machines often record conversations, monitor behaviours, and transmit data. Who owns that information, and what prevents its misuse? What about dependence vs. abandonment, Will our families and societies hide behind robots as excuses to withdraw human presence, replacing love with algorithms? When you are considering authenticity vs. deception, is it moral to let a lonely elder believe a machine “cares,” when its empathy is a script, not a soul?
In Nigeria, where respect for elders is deeply culture, the idea of machines as caregivers raises sharper debates. Our traditions emphasize family presence, storytelling, and intergenerational bonds. Could robots ever replace the warmth of grandchildren around the mat or the comforting prayers of a caregiver at dawn? Or would their arrival erode those very values, creating an era that delegates compassion to circuits?
If social robots must come, then safeguards must come with them: Human oversight should ensure that Robots assist and not replace caregivers. Clear regulations like Data privacy and usage must be strictly protected. Based on cultural sensitivity, Robots designed for Nigerian elders must align with our languages, traditions, and values. Technology should only supplement human care and not take over the important part of families' responsibilities. Beyond circuits and codes, Robots may wipe brows and whisper reminders, but they cannot weave the poetry of human presence because compassion is not just programmable; it is lived.
Let us remember that a society that trades human touch for robotic efficiency may win time, but it risks losing its soul. For in the twilight of life, our elders do not ask for perfect machines, they only ask for imperfect, but genuine, love.
William Z. Bozimo
Veteran Journalist | Columnist | National Memory Keeper
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