Analysis by the Europe-wide ESCP Business School has found that new robotics and AI technology have provided vital assistance in the response to the Covid-19 outbreak.
In the health service, robots are used to deliver medicine to infectious patients and monitor temperatures remotely, while in China, logistics robots were used to deliver food and medicines to Wuhan residents during the city’s lockdown.
The research has suggested however that while new technology has offered a solution to many challenges posed by Covid-19, the caring influence of a human face during times of crisis should not be overlooked.
Professor Héctor González Jiménez from ESCP Business School said:
Despite the usefulness of robots, a sudden confrontation with a robot, without human support, may in fact further exacerbate stress and anxiety in an individual who is already going through trauma”
“As well as this, people may also be overestimating robot capabilities, particularly in crisis situations. The appearance of such robots could actually create a false sense of hope for patients. Worse, technical mishaps in difficult terrains could even lead to further complications”
While the research has seen how deploying new technology has been of valuable support during the Covid-19 outbreak and in other crises, the human touch should not be overlooked, particularly during times of uncertainty.