Creating Companions for Senior Citizens with Technologies That Mimic People

This paper presents a scenario set in 2025 at a time when national health services are turning to technologies that mimic people to provide companions to senior citizens. It was developed as part of a European project on the ethics of smart information systems. The scenario was developed as an exercise in stakeholder engagement and participatory policymaking. The scenario emerged from a workshop comprising policymakers, technologists, civil society organisations, security experts, universities and industry. Subsequently, other stakeholders were invited to comment on the scenario. It has been posted on the Web and the public has been invited to provide comments too.