AI-powered robots could become caregivers for Japan’s aging population
In Tokyo, an AI-powered robot recently placed one hand on a man’s knee and the other on his shoulder, gently rolling him onto his side — a maneuver used to change diapers or prevent bedsores in the elderly.
The 150-kilogram humanoid robot, called AIREC, is a prototype of a future “caregiver” for Japan’s rapidly aging population and a serious shortage of elderly care workers.
Japan is the world’s most progressive aging society, with a declining birth rate, a shrinking working-age population, and policies that restrict immigration.
