While the immediate future is unlikely to yield AI pseudo-human carers, the notion of robots aiding the elderly is closer than ever. All over the world – especially in Japan, where more than a quarter of the population is over 65 – technology and healthcare are starting to overlap.

As our lives become more automated, the consumer robotics industry is only set to grow. But something is holding the market back – people find it difficult to trust these machines, especially in their homes and offices. Why do they make us uneasy, and what will convince people to trust robots?

From Apple's Siri to Microsoft’s Cortana, technology companies are already developing digital assistants to make people's lives easier. SoftBank has now launched a humanoid robot in Japan called Pepper that can can gauge your mood and cheer you up when you're feeling down.

A French advert is questioning the future of robot caregiving and its potential implications on loneliness among the elderly. The video, entitled 'BEN' – which stands for Bionically Engineered Nursing – offers a glimpse into a potential future in order to recruit more human volunteers.