The International Conference for Young Scholars on “Aging between Participation and Simulation.Ethical Dimensions of Socially Assistive Technologies” (4th– 8th February 2019 in Bochum, Germany) invites the submission of abstracts.
In future, an increasing number of elderly people will be reliant on the healthcare system. The emerging resource crisis will affect the right to social participation, wellbeing and autonomy of older or impaired people. Social assistive technologies such as robot companions or smart screen assistants promise to preserve individual rights by supporting their users in their daily environment. They offer emotional as well as physical care and support. However, socially assistive technologies raise difficult ethical questions about their ability to deception. Social assistive devices often create illusions and simulations. They can fool their users into social-like empathic relationships or manipulate their environment and beliefs. Isn’t that morally questionable? Should we use such technologies in the care of elderly? And if we do that: How should we use it? This interdisciplinary conference will reflect on the use of simulation and deception in social assistive technologies in care and medicine from ethical, legal and socio-cultural perspectives.
For more information, see the full Call. Deadline for submissions is November 15, 2018.