Australia is on the verge of an AI boom in aged care

Artificial intelligence-equipped robotic companions, personal behavior monitors and pain management apps could soon be used more widely in Australia’s aged care and retirement sectors, according to industry officials.

Australia is on the verge of an AI boom in this area, which could improve the quality of life of older Australians and combat loneliness, according to some experts.

But others, including Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant’s office, have raised concerns about the ethics of unregulated use of AI and the possibility that the technology could cause negative behavioral changes in some people.

While some Southeast Asian countries and the United States have adopted the technology in aged care, the experimental use of AI-based devices in Australia is still in its infancy.

The federal government is still studying how it can be used safely and effectively to…