Preamble: On Thursday, November 21, Solenne Brugere, an attorney at the law firm b Ethics, and Fabrice Gzil, a philosopher at Espace Éthique Île-de-France, released their highly anticipatedreport on ethics and digital technology in the silver economy. They were commissioned this summer by Filière Silver Éco to shed light on issues surrounding the regulation of technological innovations for the elderly people. How can startups in the silver economy draw inspiration from this report?

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In the Care sector we are quickly confronted with ethical issues. Our primary points of contact are nurses, doctors, occupational therapists, psychologists, and others. Being a caregiver is a true calling, and these professionals are attuned to the purpose and meaning of the innovations they use with their patients. To win people over, entrepreneurs in the silver economy must place ethics and the human element at the heart of their inventions.

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At Lumeen, we use virtual reality care homes that might seem intriguing. The idea of isolating elderly people a fictional world is even a bit unsettling. The “San Junipero” episode of the series *Black Mirror* has already made us think about this issue. The Aesio Group also recently posted a worst-case scenario on social media. In their video, a woman living alone uses her VR headset to receive assistance from a virtual caregiver. Suddenly, the headset malfunctions, leaving the poor woman alone and without support. The video concludes with the slogan, Homecare assistance and support will Homecare be virtual.”

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We fully agree with this line of reasoning, and that is precisely where the confusion lies. It is clear that digital technology should not replace human interaction. On the contrary, it should make caregivers work easier, foster human connections, and improve people’s quality of life. elderly people, caregivers families must be involved from the very beginning of the design process for digital tools. We’re fortunate to have a nurse a psychomotor therapist our team, and this is the mission we’ve set for ourselves at Lumeen. Our tool, designed for activity leaders and caregivers, allows them to bring several people together around shared immersive experiences to take them on a journey, help them relax, and foster social connections. The facilitator plays a central role in our workshops, guiding participants with engaging information and encouraging interaction. Furthermore, we don’t limit ourselves to immersion alone. Our workshops last 45 minutes, and we use the Headsets 6 to 12 minutes. The rest of the time is filled with memories, wonder, and laughter. That’s where digital technology truly comes into its own.

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The issue of consent among elderly people most dependent elderly people who suffer from cognitive disorders also arise. Our position is to provide caregivers clear caregivers and protocols for using our tools as effectively as possible with these individuals. We have received excellent feedback from the field regarding highly dependent individuals, and the approach we take has a significant impact on their acceptance of our technology. Therefore, we train our partners in usage techniques that help dependent individuals understand the concept of virtual reality and give them control over their Lumeen experiences so they can enjoy them at their own pace.

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It is our responsibility to develop ethical solutions and guidelines for use. Technology is—and has always been—nothing more than a tool. It is neither good nor bad; it is how we use it that determines its nature.

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As Marc Bourquin and Jean-Pierre Aquino had advised, Solenne Brugere and Fabrice Gzil recommend creating a center of evidence. To ensure its independence, this center will be governed by a public-law legal entity and staffed by undisputed experts. Based on data available in the scientific literature, their mission will be to catalog the tools and protocols that are effective. This will serve as a valuable resource to guide institutions, professionals, and consumers in their decisions. In this regard, we are committed to the scientific validation of the tools and protocols we develop at Lumeen. We are launching two clinical studies in early 2020 and will make the results public.

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Digital technology is playing an increasingly important role in the silver economy, and ethical issues are central to the sector's development.