2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

[Theory Paper, Ethics of Emerging Technology]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cognitive robotics (CR) technologies are redefining and disrupting the way people work and live in many different domains. With an aging Baby Boomer generation, an increase in the small, nuclear family unit (as opposed to the multi-generational kinship assemblages housed under one roof), and a decrease in birth rate in so-called “developed” countries, there is an increasing trend in the use of these technologies to conduct personal care for aging populations and for the very young.[1] “Gerontechnology” based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expected to enable a predictive, personalized, preventive, and participatory elderly care”. [2][3] As medical dependency on AI accelerates, we are confronted with issues of safety and trust around its use. This paper uses a literature review as a methodology by which to discern similarities and differences in definitions of the “Self” as applied to humans and in parlance around AI and CR. By refining the definition of what is meant from a philosophical perspective by the concept of the “Self,” “Consciousness” and “Altruism” and juxtaposing these against the functional distinctions between Theory of Mind and Self-Aware AI, we posit the theoretical possibility, based on existing literature, of decision-making, self-aware AI capable of what might be considered a form of collective identity-based, altruistic behavior. This analysis is intended to inform considerations of the ethical implications to engineering of such systems in caring for the elderly and the young.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cognitive robotics (CR) technologies are redefining and disrupting the way people work and live in many different domains. We focus here on AI and CR applications in two fields closely related: children and elderly care. [1] With an aging Baby Boomer generation, an increase in the small, nuclear family unit, and a decrease in birth rate in so-called “developed” countries, there is an increasing trend in the use of these technologies to conduct personal care for aging populations and for the very young. “Gerontechnology based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expected to enable a predictive, personalized, preventive, and participatory elderly care”. [2][3] As medical dependency on AI accelerates, we are confronted with issues of safety and trust around its use. This paper uses a literature review as a methodology by which to discern similarities and differences in definitions of the “Self” as applied to humans and in parlance around AI and CR. By refining the definition of what is meant from a philosophical perspective by the concept of the “Self,” “Consciousness” and “Altruism” and juxtaposing these against the functional distinctions between Theory of Mind and Self-Aware AI, we posit the theoretical possibility, based on existing literature, of decision-making, self-aware AI capable of what might be considered collective identity-based, altruistic behavior. This analysis is intended to inform considerations of the ethical implications to the engineering of such systems in caring for the elderly and the young.