do elderly and disabled people in japan want robots to look after them

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Trade has announced a 20% increase in funding for companies that produce caregiver robots. The initiative is meant to address the projected lack of health care workers and Japan's aging population, though the author raises concerns about the quality of care that a robot can provide. I think the author did an interesting job of contrasting a future of Japan that is possible with one that is desirable. Although these technologies (which I happen to largely support) seem possible to invent, he seems skeptical that they will have a positive effect on people's lives. I think that health care is one of the most most personal areas in which we interface with technology. Perhaps, because of its aging population, Japan is being forced to think proactively about a new technological humanism. Though this kind of rhetoric exists in the United States, it doesn't seem quite as nuanced to me.

Ultimately, the author argues for greater consultation with users (elderly and disabled people ) when designing these care robots. This, I think, is the most important point in the article and one that I strongly agree with. These principles of participatory design and planning are now well respected in my studies of urban planning and architecture, but i'm not sure are yet common in technological ideation. I think people should have agency over the type of care that they receive.