Nancy S. Jecker

About

Nancy S. Jecker is a prominent bioethicist and philosopher whose scholarship spans the ethics of emerging technologies, aging, and cross-cultural moral reasoning. Best known for her pioneering work on social robotics, Jecker has become one of the field's most influential voices, exploring how robots might serve older adults as companions, caregivers, and even intimate partners. Her widely cited papers — including "You've Got a Friend in Me" (81 citations) and "Nothing to Be Ashamed Of" (72 citations) — challenge conventional anxieties about human-robot relationships, arguing that sociable robots can meaningfully support dignity, autonomy, and wellbeing in later life. Jecker's work extends beyond technology to confront age-based discrimination. Her book *Ending Midlife Bias* (55 citations) examines how lengthening human lifespans demand a fundamental rethinking of our core values across the life course. She also breaks important ground in global ethics, bringing African relational philosophy and East-West comparative perspectives to bear on AI governance — work reflected in papers accumulating nearly 100 combined citations. By asking provocative questions such as "Can we wrong a robot?", Jecker consistently pushes ethical inquiry into underexplored territory, making her essential reading for anyone navigating the moral frontiers of technology and human aging.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   You’ve got a friend in me: sociable robots for older adults in an age of global pandemics

   81 citations · 2020
2. 2
   Nothing to be ashamed of: sex robots for older adults with disabilities

   72 citations · 2020
3. 3
   The Moral Standing of Social Robots: Untapped Insights from Africa

   58 citations · 2022
4. 4
   Ending Midlife Bias

   55 citations · 2020
5. 5
   Bridging East-West Differences in Ethics Guidance for AI and Robotics

   31 citations · 2022
6. 6
   Can we wrong a robot?

   14 citations · 2021
7. 7
   Social Robots to Fend Off Loneliness?

   12 citations · 2023
8. 8
   Two Steps Forward: An African Relational Account of Moral Standing

   9 citations · 2022
9. 9
   Extremely Relational Robots: Implications for Law and Ethics

   7 citations · 2024
10. 10
    Sociable Robots for Later Life: Carebots, Friendbots and Sexbots

    6 citations · 2021

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links