Care technologies are already here. Virtual assistants, online bots and social robots are becoming more and more common at work, at home, on the go, as well as at places like hotels or hospitals. Alexa, Siri, Cortana, Pepper and other artificial companions have come to inform, entertain, provide guidance and keep company. Equipped with systems like face or voice recognition, they are machines that can see or hear their users, and respond to their requests while learning from their interests and habits. They are here to organize and optimize everyday life, offering their ser-vices continuously and tirelessly. Being present even when one almost forgets their existence, they change not only how we relate to technology, but also we relate to one another. What feelings, though, do technologies of care evoke and which behaviors do they encourage? What role do they play –or promise to play– in different contexts? This text tries to offer possible answers through artistic projects that address the topic
Daphne Dragona
curator & writer
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