Exploring cyborg-body embodiments of care: An analysis of the puppet film Servant-Talk

The 2022 Norwegian art exhibition Caring Futures focused on how technology can illuminate contemporary care challenges, how cultural ‘texts’ can contribute to contemporary debates in the Nordic welfare states, and questioned care, vulnerability and happiness. In the puppet theatre film Servant-Talk , we meet an old woman with dementia whose morning routine is supported by an artificial intelligence-generated voice assistant. This mediated assistance intentionally raises ethical questions about the use of technology in care and highlights the potential risks and downsides of relying too heavily on technology, such as the loss of human interaction and connection, while exploring the rationale behind such techno-futures. Through an interdisciplinary approach of humanities, care and art research, the article explores how sustainable ageing in one’s own home with technology-mediated assistance can lead to a cyborgification of the ageing body and of the individual’s personal well-being.