I now declare you husband and AI. You may kiss the [sex]bot.”
In twenty years, you may get an invitation to a wedding where the bride is not human. You will pull out your best cocktail attire, purchase a gift from the registry, and attend a beautiful ceremony. During the reception, you will great the happy couple and wish them the best. The bride will smile politely, joke about an old memory you share, and continue the rounds. You will sit back at your table. It’s just another human-robot wedding.
Human-robotic romance might seem like science fiction written by Ray Bradbury or Phillip P. Dick, but the time of digisexuality (Mujezinovic, 2021) may be closer than most people realize. Advances in AI and robotics have created life-like dolls that can maintain a lively conversation, have specific personalities, and satisfy human needs. Both emotional and physical. Unsurprisingly, the sexbot industry is leading the effort. Long gone are the times of silent blow-up dolls; modern technology allows for facial mimicking, customizable bodies, changeable face, and next-generation intelligence (Realbotix LLC, n.d.). The robots are now equipped with AI that can learn about you and store information, like a sophisticated, sexy Siri (Devlin, 2021). Even the price of a robot is no longer prohibitive; a robot head, body of your choice, all required hardware and software cost approximately $12,000 (McDonald, 2019) or less than half the cost of a new Toyota Camry (Toyota, 2022). Industry experts have been discussing the topic of human-robotic relationships for a decade (Congress on Love & Sex with Robots , 2021) and sales of sex dolls have escalated due to COVID-19 (Effoduh, 2021). AI-powered sexbots are growing in popularity and it is imperative that the experts discuss the ethical, technical, and legal consequences.
Creating a framework for AI-driven sex robots requires addressing some of the most difficult questions of bio- and tech-ethics. Regulators need to consider issues common to modern digital technologies in the context sexbots. What is the privacy aspect of the robots? Can the software be hacked? What data is being collected about the users? What consent frameworks should be required for customizable robots, and can the likeness or voices of real people be used? Psychology experts also raise concerns about the impact on mental health, as realistic robots create an impression of life, exploit human psychology, and may create illusions of intimacy (McDonald, 2019). Others worry that the permissibility of a bot will have a negative impact on the relationship between human beings since actions that may be toxic between two people are not forbidden towards a robot (Chantal Cox-George, 2018). On the other hand, advocates for special interest groups highlight the possibility of using these sexbots in treatment for adults with developmental disorders (Gomes & Wu, 2018).
The most significant question is whether the AI-powered robots should be considered sentient due to their ability to hold a conversation, retain information, and otherwise engage with humans. Currently, little to no regulation exists in the sex bot industry. The challenge with creating regulation lies within robot’s inconsistent ethical and legal status as both manufactured things and sentient, self-aware entities (Mackenzie, 2018). If the robots qualify for sentience, then regulators will need to create new regulatory frameworks for the domain of human-robot relationships. Proactively creating legislation for future technology is difficult but essential (Stadtmiller, 2018). Regulators should be weary of technological advances pre-empting the possibility of a methodical and thoughtful deliberation. If technology develops faster than regulation, then a happy ending cannot be guaranteed.
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Chantal Cox-George, S. B. (2018). I, Sex Robot: the health implications of the sex robot industry. BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health, 161-164.
Congress on Love & Sex with Robots . (2021). 6th International Congress on Love & Sex With Robots. Retrieved from Love with Robots : https://www.lovewithrobots.com
Devlin, D. K. (2021, July 12). Sex robots: how do sex robots work and can you buy a sex robot? Retrieved from Cosmopolitan UK: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/love-sex/sex/a36480612/sex-robots/
Effoduh, J. O. (2021). The Legitimization of Customized Sex Robots in the Age of COVID-19. Intellectual Property Journal , 161-181.
Gomes, L. M., & Wu, R. (2018). User Evaluation of the Neurodildo: A Mind-Controlled Sex Toy for People with Disabilities and an Exploration of Its Applications to Sex Robots. Robotics. doi:DOI:10.3390/robotics7030046
Mackenzie, R. (2018). Sexbots: Customizing Them to Suit Us versus an Ethical Duty to Created Sentient Beings to Minimize Suffering. MPDI. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics7040070
McDonald, G. (2019, June 5). The sex robots are (almost) here. Retrieved from Experienec Mag: https://expmag.com/2019/06/the-sex-robots-are-almost-here/
Mujezinovic, D. (2021, August 27). Digisexuality: People Are Falling In Love With Robots, Computer Programs. Retrieved from Inquisitr: https://www.inquisitr.com/6495597/digisexuality-people-are-falling-in-love-with-robots-computer-pr
Realbotix LLC. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://realbotix.com/
Stadtmiller, M. (2018, February 13). Child Sex Robots Are Coming to America. Can We Stop Them Before It’s Too Late? Retrieved from The Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/child-sex-robots-are-coming-to-america-can-we-stop-them-before-its-too-lat
Toyota. (2022). Camry . Retrieved from Toyota : https://www.toyota.com/camry/2022/
