Automating care

New technologies aim to help comfort, entertain and inform seniors but critics say machines trying to mimic human intimacy raise ethical issues

Electronic visit verification systems make homecare more difficult, trap people with disabilities, and cost more than paper timesheets. So why are they rolling out across the country?

Experts say AI is set to grow rapidly in psychiatry and therapy, allowing doctors to spot mental illness earlier and improve care. But are the technologies effective – and ethical?