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The empathic care robot: A prototype of responsible research and innovation

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  • Stahl, Bernd Carsten
  • McBride, Neil
  • Wakunuma, Kutoma
  • Flick, Catherine

Abstract

Science fiction prototypes are often used to visualise or represent novel technologies or other techno-scientific innovations. The present paper follows this tradition and describes a prototype of a care robot that is endowed with affective capabilities. The paper describes some of the potential ethical problems arising from such a technology. This aspect of the paper is based on prior research in a European-funded technology foresight project that explored the ethical issues of emerging ICTs. The paper goes beyond the description of technical innovation and its ethical consequences. The recognition of the ethical relevance of research and innovation has spawned a discourse around responsible research and innovation. The paper draws on this discourse, which aims at anticipatory technology governance to ensure the social acceptability and desirability of technologies. The prototype vignette of the paper explores how responsible research and innovation could be realised in practice and how it could be used to address ethical issues such as those of affective care robots. The paper reflects the likely controversies that responsible research and innovation is likely to create and it uses the ethical dilemma of the care robot to draw the reader's attention to possible theoretical and practical conclusions.

Suggested Citation

  • Stahl, Bernd Carsten & McBride, Neil & Wakunuma, Kutoma & Flick, Catherine, 2014. "The empathic care robot: A prototype of responsible research and innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 74-85.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:84:y:2014:i:c:p:74-85
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2013.08.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kerstin Cuhls, 2003. "From forecasting to foresight processes-new participative foresight activities in Germany," Journal of Forecasting, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2-3), pages 93-111.
    2. Phil Macnaghten & Richard Owen, 2011. "Good governance for geoengineering," Nature, Nature, vol. 479(7373), pages 293-293, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Thais Assis de Souza & Rodrigo Marçal Gandia & Bruna Habib Cavazza & André Grützmann & Isabelle Nicolaï, 2020. "A Conceptual Proposal for Responsible Innovation," Post-Print hal-03014720, HAL.
    2. Arsenyan, Jbid & Mirowska, Agata & Piepenbrink, Anke, 2023. "Close encounters with the virtual kind: Defining a human-virtual agent coexistence framework," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    3. Lehoux, P. & Miller, F.A. & Williams-Jones, B., 2020. "Anticipatory governance and moral imagination: Methodological insights from a scenario-based public deliberation study," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    4. Goeldner, Moritz & Herstatt, Cornelius & Tietze, Frank, 2015. "The emergence of care robotics — A patent and publication analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 115-131.
    5. Zhu, Zhuo-Yue & Xie, Hong-Ming & Chen, Liang, 2023. "ICT industry innovation: Knowledge structure and research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    6. Tan, Si Ying & Taeihagh, Araz & Tripathi, Abhas, 2021. "Tensions and antagonistic interactions of risks and ethics of using robotics and autonomous systems in long-term care," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    7. Chiang, Ai-Hsuan & Trimi, Silvana & Lo, Yu-Ju, 2022. "Emotion and service quality of anthropomorphic robots," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    8. Mehmood, Khalid & Kautish, Pradeep & Shah, Tejas R., 2024. "Embracing digital companions: Unveiling customer engagement with anthropomorphic AI service robots in cross-cultural context," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    9. Scuotto, V & Nicotra, M. & Del Giudice, M. & Krueger, N. & Gregori, G.L., 2021. "A microfoundational perspective on SMEs’ growth in the digital transformation era," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 382-392.
    10. Carbajo, Ruth & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2018. "Renewable energy research and technologies through responsible research and innovation looking glass: Reflexions, theoretical approaches and contemporary discourses," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 792-808.
    11. Genus, Audley & Iskandarova, Marfuga, 2018. "Responsible innovation: its institutionalisation and a critique," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 1-9.
    12. Carlos Ferreira & Alessandro Merendino & Maureen Meadows, 2023. "Disruption and Legitimacy: Big Data in Society," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 1081-1100, June.
    13. Rödl, Malte B. & Boons, Frank & Spekkink, Wouter, 2022. "From responsible to responsive innovation: A systemic and historically sensitive approach to innovation processes," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    14. Pataki, György & Bajmócy, Zoltán & Málovics, György & Gébert, Judit, 2019. "Miről szól(hatna) a felelősségteljes kutatás és innováció?. Rendszerkonform versus transzformatív megközelítés [What is responsible research and innovation about? Contrasting the reform and transfo," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(3), pages 286-304.
    15. Frank, Darius-Aurel & Otterbring, Tobias, 2023. "Being seen… by human or machine? Acknowledgment effects on customer responses differ between human and robotic service workers," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).

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