She is a little clumsy and bit socially awkward – as robots go, Linda – the star of the BBC One’s sitcom Ann Droid – is more C-3PO with an auburn bob and sensible shoes than The Terminator.
Set in the not-so-distant future when robots have been rolled out to care for the elderly, the second-hand Basic Eldercare Robot arrives in a box to help recently widowed Sue live independently now her feckless son has moved out.
Plugged in, charged up and raring to go, the intention is Linda – played by Diane ‘Philophena Cunk’ Morgan complete with expressionless stare and Pepto Bismal coloured suit – will gently support her sceptical human Sue (The Royle Family’s Sue Johnston) with all the little daily needs and irritations that come with getting older.
Forgot to take your medicine – Linda can help. Need a constant companion to make sure you don’t get lonely… or a reminder of how machines might actually be more reliable than real people? Linda turns out to be the autonomous AI machine that, as long as her battery doesn’t go flat, never lets you down.
What in the name of Metal Mickey could possibly go wrong?
Over six episodes, it turns out quite a lot.
However, despite initial reservations, Sue forges an unexpected bond with her new AI humanoid companion.
At a time when AI is speeding ahead, with dire warnings of out-of-control systems potentially taking over our world yet an aging population in need of care and company, is Ann Droid a glimpse into all of our futures?
Linda, the second-hand Basic Eldercare Robot, played by Diane Morgan in BBC One sitcom Ann Droid. (Image: BBC/Boffola Pictures/Gary Moyes)
Indeed, robot carers are far closer than we might think.
In around 1,000 homes across the UK, AI-enabled droids are already taking care of the basic needs of their human charges. Among their tasks are to remind them to take medication, to play music on demand, and jog their memories of events like bingo, lunch or to call family and friends.
One feature of the Genie robots, provided by Cera, one of the UK's largest home care providers, is to gently enquire how their human is feeling.
As well as apparently showing compassion and interest, it’s a way to gather data on their health which can then be shared with care teams to determine if interventions are needed.
Eventually they’ll be programmed to monitor heart rate, blood pressure and temperature.
Cera, which has more than 10,000 carers and nurses delivering 2.5 million service user home visits each month across the UK, has embraced AI and robot technology since 2021.