The debate around AI in elder care often starts with the wrong fear: that technology will replace human caregivers. Emotionally, it is a powerful argument, but it rests on a false premise. It assumes there is a trained, available, fairly paid person ready to support every older adult who needs help, and that AI is arriving to push that person aside. But that is not the reality of elder care in the United States. For many older adults, especially those living alone, the alternative to AI is no…