Terrifying. John B. Carnett

Japan has a rapidly aging population, but not enough home care workers to help elderly folks with daily tasks. So Japanese engineers, true to form, began building robotic home care workers.

Only problem is… old folks don’t want to be cared for by robots. It’s… kind of creepy. While cute animal-themed robots are selling reasonably well, the creepy humanoid models are being put on the shelf. (Until they’re reactivated in the Great Robot Wars begin in 2033, of course.)

Now the helper robot industry is shifting focus from fake people to smart furniture – like a wheelchair that can transform itself into a bed.

Technology has always been blamed for eliminating jobs – why pay a person to do what a machine can do faster, better, and cheaper? But Japan’s situation is a little different. It’s not eliminating jobs for willing workers; it’s creating workers to fill necessary jobs.

Hmm… wonder what kind of career track can an entry-level home healthcare worker can look forward to?

Tags: demographic shift, robots, technology