Robots in care work risk harming staff and patients without proper planning
A new analysis warns that introducing AI and robots into hospitals, care homes, and social services can damage both employee morale and service quality if organizations skip crucial steps like user involvement and thoughtful work design. The findings suggest these risks are avoidable—but only if institutions plan implementation carefully rather than rushing for efficiency gains.
Originaltitel: Introducing robots and AI in human service organizations: what are the implications for employees and service users?
<p>Robots and AI are increasingly being introduced in organizations to improve efficiency and replace dull and dangerous work. The implementation of robots and AI will change the way work is organized and managed with consequences for both employees and service users. In this chapter, we critically examine the implementation of robots and AI in human service organizations from work design, management, and ethical perspectives. We propose that the implementation of robots and AI introduces several challenges and risks for both employees and users that need to be addressed. However, we also suggest that these challenges may be overcome if knowledge about work design and user involvement is considered.</p>