Older People's Ethical Framing of Autonomy in Relation to Current and Future Consumer Technologies: The Case of Socially Assistive Robots

Development of Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) and other assistive smart technologies is commonly justified by casting aged care as approaching a crisis point, due to an aging population and ensuing strain on healthcare systems. Combined with older people's overwhelming wish to avoid more formal care contexts for as long as possible, this confluence of factors positions SARs as means to extend independent living, and so has inspired commercial developers to market their devices directly to older consumers. Preserving respect for the ethical principle of autonomy has been central to discussion of SARs in aged care settings, some of which incorporates the ethical views of older people. Since consumer SARs are claiming to integrate into older people's digital device consumption practices, this article argues that more attention needs to be paid to what autonomy means to older peoples as digital technology consumers. Through analysis of marketing materials and two qualitative studies focused on how older people think about potential use of consumer SARs, the participants' ethical reasoning on autonomy is revealed to be informed by a sociotechnical discourse that on the one hand aligns with common cultural imaginaries of aging, but on the other displays a range of orientations towards consumer digital technology use on individual, collective and societal levels. The article contributes to the field a novel and nuanced understanding of the value of autonomy held by older people and their ethical reasoning concerning future consumer information technologies such as SARs.