Using a Knowledge Café approach as a public engagement activity for raising awareness of data protection issues in robotics for health and social care

Anna-Maria Piskopani, Helena Webb, Praminda Caleb-Solly

Abstract: Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (RAI) offers the opportunity to ameliorate the quality of life for people with health issues. However, there are still considerable barriers linked to the lack of acceptance of these technologies, particularly as they require intensive personal data collection and analysis for monitoring health. We organized two public engagement events for science communication, adopting a Knowledge Café model with the intention of helping people get a better understanding of the potential benefits of these technologies and privacy risks. While personal data plays an important role in the development of these technologies, there has been insufficient public awareness and engagement to ensure informed consent. By hosting Knowledge Cafés, our aim is to provide scenarios of how Robotics and AI could support health and well-being, while surfacing the risks. Our objective was to highlight and discuss ethical, social and legal concerns, facilitating members of the general public to engage with different perspectives, generate ideas to mitigate these risks, together with gaining a deeper understanding of their needs and preferences for beneficial uses of RAI in healthcare.