As carebots, chatbots, and other AI systems become increasingly sophisticated, robotic therapists, nursing home assistants, and even friends are no longer concepts relegated merely to science fiction. In many cases, this technology is still nascent. So, there is a brief window to consider how to use, or not use, these new caregiving entities before they become too ingrained and widespread to avoid. Accordingly, it is essential that we determine what forms of care are appropriate, if any, to outsource to non-human entities.
I begin to answer this question by advocating for a new way to think about the value of care. Drawing on existing literature in the care ethics tradition, I argue that care is valuable, at least in part, because it helps us to meet a variety of human needs. The form of care that is best suited to this task is care which results from reciprocal relationships. New technologies can be utilized to secure valuable but overwhelmingly non-reciprocal care.
Ultimately, I argue that while care generated by reciprocal relationships typically ought to be prioritized, other forms of care are valuable. This conclusion may seem to suggest that we ought to avoid replacing human caregivers as they are uniquely positioned to form reciprocal caring relationships. Yet, I end by maintaining that we ought to supplement or replace human caregivers only when doing so would allow us to utilize our resources, both human and technological, to produce the highest quality and amount of valuable care.
.jpg)
