Offering words of encouragement to those who are on their deathbed could prove to be a rather emotionally draining task, but it is definitely a position where we can administer love and kindness to someone who might have given up all hope to live a long time ago. Do you think that robots will be able to take over humans in this position? Imagine a machine that is connected to one’s outstretched right arm, saying, “I am the Last Moment Robot. I am here to help you and guide you through your last moment on Earth. I am sorry that your family and friends can’t be with you right now, but don’t be afraid. I am here to comfort you. You are not alone, you are with me. Your family and friends love you very much, they will remember you after you are gone.”
Dying in the arms of a machine might not be too ideal, but if no humans are willing to take up this task, then who will? Surely a substitute is better than nothing? Dan Chen, the creator of this robot, said that this particularly jarring image “reveals the cruelty of life, lack of human support/social connections. On the other hand, the robot becomes something that you can trust/depend on. It could give you the ‘placebo effect’ of comfort.”
I would suppose that when the day arrives where a human can marry a robot, then so too, will such Last Moment Robots find their place in society.
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