AI in aged care: balancing innovation with human connection in Australia’s aging society
Original framing: “An industry targeting Australia’s ageing population is growing, but can AI deliver more humanity in aged care?” — The Guardian - Technology
A trickster lens reveals the irony in using AI to 'humanize' care—technology is being sold as a solution to loneliness, yet it risks further alienating the very people it aims to help. Like Coyote in Native American stories, AI can expose the absurdity of treating care as a product rather than a relationship.
The integration of AI in aged care must be understood as part of a broader systemic shift toward privatization and efficiency-driven models of care.
While AI can offer valuable tools for monitoring and communication, it cannot replace the relational and cultural dimensions of caregiving. Indigenous and cross-cultural models emphasize care as a communal and spiritual practice, which challenges the Western individualism embedded in current AI narratives. A systemic solution requires not only ethical AI governance but also a reinvigoration of care as a public good, supported by investment in care workers and intergenerational community structures. By centering marginalized voices and integrating traditional knowledge, we can create a future where technology enhances—not erodes—human connection in aging societies.