[China is planning to use humanoid robots, intended to evoke medium-as-social-actor presence, to care for its growing elderly population, as reported in this story from the South China Morning Post. The plans are at the national and local levels – note the reference to a report from Hubei province’s Wuhan that says robots “are expected to provide companionship, monitor health, and use 3D facial scanning and modelling technology to customise their appearance to resemble loved ones or even a younger version of the senior” (!). For a related story, see “Nvidia scientist praises Chinese humanoid robot, stoking interest” also from the SCMP, and find more details about and watch the viral robot video that was mistaken for CGI or AI, in a story from Maginative (the video is also on YouTube). –Matthew]

[Image: Source: Interesting Engineering. Credit: Marco Verch / iStock by Getty Images]
China’s calling in humanoid robots to care for granny as needs of elderly outpace workers
To address its rapidly ageing population, China is among the first nations to set policy plans for humanoid robots that will provide companionship, monitor health and may even resemble loved ones
By Mandy Zuo in Shanghai
January 8, 2025
In the near future, China’s rapidly ageing population could find that much care in their twilight years comes from humanoid robots, under new top-level policy plans aimed at tackling the nation’s mounting demographic challenges.
Authorities intend to boost the research and development of such robots, as well as brain-computer interfaces and artificial intelligence, to support elderly care across the country, the State Council said in a directive issued on Tuesday, making China among the first countries to formalise such a policy on the use of robotics.
Emphasising the acceleration of technology and digitisation in this sector, the nation’s cabinet vowed to establish major national science and technology projects with a focus on the aforementioned areas.
The initiative is part of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen support for elderly citizens in China, one of the world’s fastest-ageing countries, alongside other measures such as encouraging foreign investment and training more professionals that the country faces an acute shortage of.
The document pledged that China will “basically establish” a nationwide elderly care service network by 2029, and by 2035 it will ensure that all senior citizens have access to basic services under a “mature” care system tailored to the country’s unique needs.
There were 216.76 million people aged 65 and above in China by the end of 2023, accounting for 15.4 per cent of the total population. In contrast, by the end of 2023, there were merely 8.2 million beds for elderly care services nationwide, according to official figures.
The integration of humanoid robots in elderly care is also gaining traction at the local level.
In an action plan for developing humanoid robots through 2027, issued earlier this week, Beijing’s Municipal Science and Technology Commission highlighted the need to deploy robots in caregiving scenarios, such as emotional companionship, health monitoring and intelligent household services, while exploring mechanisms for human-machine safety and trust.
Similarly, in a report last month, Hubei province’s Wuhan highlighted humanoid robots designed to assist seniors. In the local government’s 2024 Digital Economy Application Scenario Collection, these robots are expected to provide companionship, monitor health, and use 3D facial scanning and modelling technology to customise their appearance to resemble loved ones or even a younger version of the senior.
These moves came after Shanghai published China’s first governance guidelines for humanoid robots last year, calling for risk controls and international collaboration.
Beyond robotics, Tuesday’s State Council document also encouraged foreign investment in China’s elderly care industry, vowing that treatment would be equal to that given to domestic enterprises.
Beijing has recently granted wider market access for foreign capital in the fields of elderly care and healthcare services, including November’s move to allow the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals in nine major cities.
Additionally, the new plan addresses the critical shortage of professional elderly carers in China. It called for improving the attractiveness of caregiving as a profession by strengthening vocational training and ethical standards.
According to 2021 data from the National Health Commission, China had around 45 million seniors with disabilities or dementia, but only 500,000 certified carers.
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