Robots as Proxies: Negotiating Dignity, Legibility and Accountability in Accessible Social Participation

Abstract

Robots are often framed as efficient helpers for older adults. We study a different role: robots as proxies that may support older adults’ access to participation when being there in person is difficult. We conducted Speed Dating storyboard interviews with 16 older adults living in care homes and aging in place, prompting them to reason about robot-mediated action from both the sender’s and recipient’s perspectives. Participants initially treated proxies as practical extensions for acting at a distance. However, once the proxy entered hallways, streets, and family events, their reasoning shifted from what the robot could do to what its presence and actions might reveal to others. Participants raised concerns about when proxy action might expose need, misrepresent the person, or leave responsibility unclear. We frame these concerns as accessibility tensions in robot-mediated social participation and discuss three design directions for proxy robots: legible action, configurable presence, and authority contracts.