Each of Them Their Own

This paper explores the potential of robots and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide social support, addressing the increasing issues of loneliness and social isolation. By examining the distinct emotional, instrumental, informational, and companionship needs of individuals, we propose that tailored robotic, intelligent solutions should be used to cater to these diverse requirements. Empirical research indicates that people characterised by different demographic variables require different types and kind of social support. Whit identifying how or whether the expectations regarding social support differ between genders, generations, those who possess a higher educational degree and those who do not, as well as people embedded into different social surrounding, possessing different types of social network, this study aims to highlight the impossibility of a universal robotic solution that meets all the unique support needs effectively.