Interventions

Social robots: the European challenge is not technological, but cultural

by Paolo Dario*

14 March 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Social robotics has moved beyond the experimental phase and is entering industries, hospital corridors, classrooms, logistics hubs and public services. As is often the case with major technological transitions, the real question is not whether the solution works, but how and where it will be integrated.

Social robots' or 'companion robots' represent a new dimension of our daily lives. Factories, hotels, camps, schools, shopping malls, airports, hospitals: social robots are and will increasingly be an integral part of it, accompanying humans in their work, without replacing them.

This is confirmed by reports such as 'Social Robots and Society: Global Pathways to Acceptance', the result of an international research project developed in recent years and recently published by the UAE Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in collaboration with the Dubai Future Foundation. In the health sector alone, almost 280 user experiences were mapped in 33 countries with more than 50 different models already deployed in real-world contexts.

Social robotics is one of the most advanced expressions of the convergence of technology and human needs. We now have systems capable of operating in complex contexts, understanding people and supporting them in sensitive areas such as healthcare, education and public services. The growth of applications at a global level shows that social robots are a concrete reality that contributes to well-being, inclusion and quality of services, but can also be an effective lever to push European manufacturing, which can become a leader in this field. We already have everything to do so, we just have to be willing to take up this challenge, which is cultural before being economic.

Unlike industrial machines, confined for decades within defined production perimeters, these robots are designed to interact. They are true 'companion robots' also thanks to the use of artificial intelligence. They speak, recognise faces, respond to contextual stimuli, modulate behaviour and expression. They lie between robotics, cognitive science and social psychology to the point of transforming the machine into a relational interface.

According to the report, the healthcare sector is now the area of greatest traction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 85 social robot models were used in hospitals and care facilities for drug delivery, patient monitoring, room disinfection and psychological support. In countries like Japan, where an ageing population has forced a structural rethinking of care models, social robotics has become a systemic component of the care ecosystem. Education also offers promising signs with increased student engagement, benefits in inclusive settings and support for language learning.

A Dubai Future Labs survey of over a thousand residents highlights an interesting dynamic: anthropomorphic robots are perceived more positively than digital avatars. A humanoid design is preferred but recognisable as robotic; commercial contexts are more acceptable than hospitals and schools where more resistance emerges. The most appreciated functions are information, orientation and multilingual support. Activities involving conflict management or a strong emotional component are less appreciated.

By contrast, penetration in Europe remains more uncertain. The reasons are well known: stringent regulatory constraints and a different cultural sensitivity towards the automation of highly relational areas. Here, the ethical values and our history, which make European culture great in the world, are also a deterrent to driven innovation. The issue in Europe is not to slow down innovation, but to direct it. Our values, our history and our focus on the ethical dimension are a strategic resource. If we know how to integrate them right from the design of social robots, we can define more responsible, reliable and sustainable human-machine interaction models. This is Europe's opportunity: not to chase other models, but to propose its own vision in which technology, society and industry grow together.

* Paolo Dario, Professor Emeritus of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, Scientific Director of the ARTES 4.0 Robotics Competence Centre, Chief Scientist of the Dubai Future Foundation