Spice Of Life: Sex & Robots?

Sex dolls are not a new concept. Dutch sailors in the seventeenth century created the first known sex dolls while at sea. These dolls were made out of leather and cloth and the Dutch traded them with the Japanese. Artist Leonardo da Vinci is most famous for the Mona Lisa, but not too many people know he designed and created what could be considered the first humanoid robot—a fifteenth-century robotic knight, which is reported to have been able to walk, wave and even move its jaw. Fast forward a few centuries and we’ve come a long way from da Vinci’s knight. Now, for around $5,000 to $15,000, you can have sex with your very own robotic doll. There are several companies who have introduced lifelike "dolls," which are designed to hold conversations, feign desire and even simulate orgasm. Abyss Creations / Realbotix offers a line of life-sized female dolls and is set to launch their first male doll this year (named "Henry"), who can tell jokes, ask about your day and features a robotic penis. The company’s female counterpart doll uses an artificial intelligence Android app, Harmony AI, marketed as a "virtual girlfriend," that you can program to have erotic conversations with, as well as choose its personality. At press time, Abyss Creations was working on adding internal heaters and touch sensors to its dolls.

The popularity of the dolls seems to be far from waning. Sex doll brothels have opened all over the world. This year, France opened its first one—with rates of $110 per hour. Additional doll brothels operate in England, Germany and Amsterdam. This year, an event that brings lovers of robotic sex together will be held in the US—The Fourth International Congress On Love And Sex With Robots is a two-day event, scheduled to take place at University Of Montana in Missoula on December 13th and 14th. The keynote speaker for the event will be CEO of Abyss Creations / Realbotix, Matt McMullen. And, while these dolls provide artificial enjoyment for real people (there is an entire community of "iDollators" in relationships—even faux marriages— with these dolls), others have been less welcoming of the creations. Last year, the organization had to hold the event at a secret location due to a terror threat.

A U.K. organization, "Campaign Against Sex Robots" (CASR), aims at trying to create legislation against the development of humanoid robots. According to the organization’s website, their aim is to "create a new and alternative voice to highlight the dangers of producing sex robots, the ideas behind them and how their production will impact the real lives of women, children and men." The organization has been very vocal about its concerns. In an interview with Wired, the organization stated, "We do not see robots as conscious entities. We propose instead, that robots are a product of human consciousness and creativity, and human power relationships are reflected in the production, design and proposed uses of these robots. As a result, we oppose any efforts to develop robots that will contribute to gender inequalities in society."

Detractors have also argued that sex robots perpetuate female objectification— but, there are some who believe a future with sex robots can be a positive, healthy one. In an essay for Quartz, sex historian Hallie Lieberman argues that sex robots can used for teaching things like sex education and consent. And, while the majority of sex dolls are marketed and purchased by men, the industry could see improvement if more women were involved in the design and creation of the dolls. Female use of sex toys was minimal before women entered the sex toy industry, and one of the reasons was that men didn’t know how to design a toy for a woman. When women started designing and creating it was a game changer.

"Sex robots don’t have to be our enemies," writes Lieberman. "They can be our partners, instead."