The Solitude of Simulation: Risks and Limits of Artificial Care

인격주의 생명윤리 [Personalist Bioethics] 16 (2026) 3-24 

At a time when the change in demographics puts great strain on ever fewer caregivers who are responsible for an ever-growing number of those who need caring, the idea of artificial care may begin to appear appealing. There are devices like smart dolls already in use. As artificial intelligence is leaving the computer screen and the imminent advent of AI-powered humanoids is likely to cause major upheavals in healthcare, it is urgent to think carefully about the fundamental logic implied. 

We will see that the issues at stake are often delicate, and the goal will not be to arrive at definitive answers but to help us in asking the right questions about the nature of artificial agents, the needs of those being cared for, and the identity of the caregiver. We need to be alert to the risk of surrendering to technology what is among our most outstanding and noble capacities, namely that of caring for others. We will argue that there is a need to negotiate the line between machines assisting us in our care and machines replacing us—the line, that is, between using them as instruments of the care we provide and treating machines as subjects that themselves provide care.