Dignity – Degradation
The users might perceive interacting with a robot instead of a human as humiliating.
Degradation in human-robot interaction refers to situations where interacting with a robot, instead of a human, is perceived as diminishing a person's dignity or social standing. This concern is not only about how robots behave, but also about what their presence represents in care, companionship, and service contexts. In everyday settings, especially in care environments, robots may unintentionally signal replacement rather than support, raising questions about how such systems affect users' self-image and perceived worth. In such cases, dignity is affected through a perceived reduction in the moral and social value of the person receiving care, rather than through any physical harm or technical failure of the system. This highlights how degradation is closely tied to expectations about what counts as appropriate human care and attention in a given context.
The literature reflects several dimensions of this concern. One line of argument emphasizes that the social character of interaction with robots depends on users being "tricked" into attributing emotional states to machines, which raises concerns about authenticity and respect for persons. Relatedly, some argue that if a society views robot care in old age as incompatible with its ideals of a "good life," then such technologies may undermine self-respect and social dignity rather than support it. Focus group findings also suggest that for many older adults, care is fundamentally understood as a human practice, not merely a technical one, making robot-mediated care feel qualitatively different and potentially inadequate. At the same time, other work warns that rejecting all robotic assistance on ethical grounds could eliminate beneficial opportunities, especially in care contexts where support is needed. This tension becomes particularly visible in questions such as whether receiving assistance exclusively from an engaging social robot, rather than human caregivers, enhances or erodes a resident's dignity through possible feelings of isolation or dehumanisation.
Excerpts from the paper:
About the value "Dignity"
Dignity groups the topics relating to the respect owed to all humans and to the subject's self-image. Although it was not identified as an initial value during the scoping review, focus groups participants agreed that dignity should replace honour as a value, with agency considered separately.
About "Degradation"
As emerged during the scoping review, interacting with a robot instead of a human being can sometimes be perceived as degrading, and this varies across cultures. For example, an elderly person might feel humiliated if a robot, rather than a human caregiver, is assigned to assist them with personal tasks. This can lead to a sense of loss of dignity, as the user might feel that they are being treated as less worthy of human care and attention.