Health human resources are declining at an alarming rate, becoming a major challenge for the global healthcare system. The World Health Organization predicts that the world will lack 4.5 million nurses by 2030, a figure that shows the lack of steam for the force responsible for caring for patients every day. Not only is there a shortage of people, the nursing industry also faces a sharp increase in the rate of burnout.
About a third of nurses worldwide are experiencing emotional decline, prolonged pressure and having to leave their profession because they cannot endure the intensity of work. As the aging population increases rapidly and the need for health care increases every year, many hospitals fall into a spiral of human resource shortage and increase the workload on the shoulders of the rest.
In that context, the emergence of AI and robot systems is expected to provide a way out. Not to completely replace humans, but to play a supporting role, sharing repetitive and heavy tasks that make nurses tired and time-consuming.
Technology corporations have begun developing robots that can move automatically, communicate using natural language and learn from real-life environments to support nursing. Sending robots to hospitals is not only to save human resources but also to move towards a sustainable patient care model, adapting to the aging population and uneven demographic growth rate.
Technology promises the future
In recent years, Foxconn has emerged as one of the most active corporations in bringing AI into the healthcare sector, most notably the Nurabot nursing robot.
Based on the fact that the number of nurses worldwide is increasingly overloaded, Foxconn has developed Nurabot as a solution to reduce the amount of repetitive work, in order to free up time for the medical team to focus on tasks that require high professional qualifications.
This robot is designed to perform activities such as transferring medicine, guiding patients to move in the treatment area or transporting test samples. These are all frequent tasks that cause nurses to travel a lot, increasing fatigue during the shift.
According to Foxconn, Nurabot can reduce the workload for nurses by up to 30%. This opens up the potential to help the health sector save time, reduce training costs and limit burnout. Foxconn's view is that robots do not replace medical staff, but work with them to complete their tasks.
When the repetitive tasks are transferred to Nurabot, the nurse will have the opportunity to spend time monitoring the patient's medical condition, making professional assessments and developing appropriate treatment.
With the ability to learn through virtual hospital simulations and NVIDIA's AI system, Nurabot can self-manage and react to both spoken signals and body movements, making it a real assistant in the medical environment.
The development of Nurabot did not take place over many years like traditional robot models. Within just 10 months, Foxconn had completed the prototype and started testing at a hospital in Taiwan (China) from April 2025.
The testing process showed a significant reduction in the distance nurses have to walk and increased accuracy in distributing items. The use of Foxconn's large language model helps robots communicate well with patients, while NVIDIA's AI infrastructure provides processing capabilities to adapt to each situation. The combination of Kawasaki hardware and Foxconn artificial intelligence has created a robot that can operate autonomously, identify the environment with cameras, sensors and give timely feedback.
The impact of technology like Nurabot is not just a reduction in workload. It opens up the possibility of developing smart hospitals, where robot systems take on transportation tasks, monitor and support treatment processes. As the population ages rapidly, especially in areas lacking human resources, robots will play an important role in preventing the health system from being overloaded.
Initial assessments at Taiwan Hospital (China) show that Nurabot has reduced its daily workload by about 20 - 30%, creating conditions for nurses to reach patients more. This is a step to show how AI technology is gradually transforming from a tool in a virtual environment to a companion in a real healthcare environment.
AI Robots have the potential to replace the nursing industry in Japan
Japan has long been considered a pioneer in the use of robots to support life. With the world's fastest aging population and a shrinking workforce, Japan faces a huge demand for health care that nursing staff cannot meet.
The rate of people over 65 years old has increased to 3/10 people, making this country the place with the highest rate of elderly people in the world. Meanwhile, the continuous decline in the labor force has caused a serious shortage of workers in the nursing industry. In 2024 alone, the rate of nursing recruitment is very low, only 1 person can be recruited for more than 4 recruitment positions, showing a great imbalance between supply and demand.
In that context, healthcare robots were developed as part of a long-term strategy to support nursing staff and ensure adequate care for the elderly. AIREC, a robot developed by a research team at Waseda University with funding from the Japanese Government, is a typical example.
This 150kg robot is capable of safely physical contact with humans, performing rotations of patients to avoid ulcers, helping them sit up, even preparing meals and handling daily tasks. In the context of nursing staff having to take care of an increasing number of elderly people, robots like AIREC provide solutions that can reduce pressure.
Japan has been testing many caring robot models over the years, from exercise guides, sleep-assisted robots to communication robots that help the elderly feel less lonely. Some nursing homes use small robots to sing, guide movements and support the spirit.
Although these robots cannot perform complex tasks, they still contribute to reducing the workload for caregivers. A sleep monitoring sensor system placed under the cushion helps reduce the need for manual check-ups at night, creating conditions for nurses to rest more appropriately.
However, Japan still faces many challenges when deploying nursing robots on a large scale. Safety requirements are an important factor, because robots must interact directly with humans in conditions that are prone to risk. To ensure that robots do not cause harm to the elderly, the operating system must be very accurate and intelligent.
Although it is capable of supporting activities such as folding clothes or cooking, AIREC still needs a long time to test before being able to take it to a hospital or health care center. High costs are also a barrier, with prices predicted to reach over $67,000 per robot.
