In Tokyo, a groundbreaking demonstration of artificial intelligence in caregiving took place when a robot named AIREC, weighing 150 kg (330 lbs), carefully assisted a man lying on his back by placing a hand on his knee and another on his shoulder, rolling him onto his side. This maneuver, typically used to prevent bedsores or change diapers for the elderly, is part of a larger initiative to create robots that can help care for Japan’s aging population.
AIREC is a prototype humanoid robot developed to address Japan’s increasing need for caregivers as its population rapidly ages. Japan faces a demographic crisis with a declining birth rate and a shrinking working-age population, exacerbated by restrictive immigration policies. As a result, there is a significant shortage of workers in the elderly care sector, which has become one of the country’s most pressing issues.
Shigeki Sugano, a professor at Waseda University and leader of the AIREC project, emphasized the importance of robotic assistance in medical and elderly care as Japan continues to experience one of the world’s fastest-aging societies. “With our aging society and declining birth rate, robots will play a crucial role in supporting medical and elderly care in our daily lives,” Sugano said.
Japan’s baby boomer generation, born between 1947 and 1949, will all be over 75 by the end of 2024, putting additional pressure on the country’s already overstretched care services. Meanwhile, the number of babies born in 2024 decreased by 5% to a record low of 720,988, according to data from Japan’s health ministry.
The nursing sector is particularly impacted by this demographic shift. In December, the sector had just one job applicant for every 4.25 open positions, significantly worse than the overall jobs-to-applicants ratio of 1.22. While the government has looked to foreign workers to fill this gap, only around 57,000 foreign workers were employed in the sector in 2023, making up less than 3% of the workforce.
Takashi Miyamoto, a director at Zenkoukai, an elderly care facility operator, described the situation as dire, predicting that things would only worsen in the next decade or so. “Technology is our best chance to prevent the situation from becoming even more challenging,” he said.
Although some facilities in Japan have begun experimenting with robots, their use has been limited. For example, a small, doll-sized robot assists care workers by singing songs and guiding elderly residents in simple stretching exercises. Meanwhile, sleep sensors placed under residents’ mattresses help monitor their sleep patterns, reducing the need for human caregivers to check on patients during the night.
Despite the promise of humanoid robots like Tesla’s Optimus, Sugano notes that the next generation of robots capable of physically interacting with humans requires an extraordinary level of precision and intelligence. “Humanoid robots are being developed worldwide, but most are limited to household chores or factory tasks. Once humans are involved, safety concerns and coordination become significant challenges,” Sugano explained.
Sugano’s AIREC robot is designed to assist with tasks such as helping a person sit up, putting on socks, cooking, folding laundry, and other everyday activities. However, Sugano anticipates that AIREC won’t be ready for use in nursing and medical facilities until around 2030, and its initial cost is expected to be around 10 million yen ($67,000).
Care workers like Takaki Ito from Zenkoukai are cautiously optimistic about the future of robotic nursing. Ito believes that AI-equipped robots could one day help personalize care by understanding each individual’s needs and preferences. “However, I don’t think robots will ever fully understand everything about nursing care,” Ito said. “The future I hope for is one where robots and humans work together to improve elderly care.”
