Cybersecurity, value sensing robots for LGBTIQ+ elderly, and the need for revised codes of conduct

Until now, each profession has developed their professional codes of conduct independently. However, the use of robots and artificial intelligence is blurring professional delineations: aged care nurses work with lifting robots, tablet computers, and intelligent diagnostic systems, and health information system designers work with clinical teams. While robots assist the medical staff in extending the professional service they provide, it is not clear how professions adhere and adapt to the new reality. In this article, we reflect on how the insertion of robots may shape codes of conduct, in particular with regards to cybersecurity. We do so by focusing on the use of social robots for helping LGBTIQ+ elderly cope with loneliness and depression. Using robots in such a delicate domain of application changes how care is delivered, as now alongside the caregiver, there is a cyber-physical health information system that can learn from experience and act autonomously. Our contribution stresses the importance of including cybersecurity considerations in codes of conduct for both robot developers and caregivers as it is the human and not the machine which is responsible for ensuring the system’s security and the user’s safety.