They Had Sex With a Robot and Planned to Spend Their Lives With It

Sex robots are becoming an irresistible trend. Whether it is increasingly sophisticated sex toys or more intelligent conversational AI systems, they are all driving sex robots to develop in the direction of perfect partners. But can this type of robot really replace partners in a relationship and establish a spiritual and physical bond with humans?

**Keywords:**Robots, sex, artificial intelligence, emotions

Contemporary robots are becoming more and more advanced, their materials are becoming more and more realistic, and their functions are becoming more and more abundant. They are no longer just replacing humans to do some mechanical and repetitive assembly line work, but are also trying to meet various human demands in a more advanced way.

For example, our topic today:Sex robot.

Under the wave of technology, whether people accept it or not, talk about it or not, the number of sex robots is increasing.

In the United States in 20171146 people participatedIn the survey, there areOne quarterof men said they would be willing to have sex with a robot.

But can sex robots really replace humans and become intimate partners?

Driving technological development: human needs

Sexual needs directly or indirectly drive manyTechnological change.

Many people have concluded that since the advent of industrial civilization,The porn industry has greatly promoted the advancement of many technologiesFrom eye-catching arcades, to dimly lit movie theaters, to relatively private TV programs, and finally to computers with greater freedom, the first batch of content producers were basically those who produced content about sex.

After the popularization of the Internet, online pornography has also become the industry with the largest traffic. In 2018, the number of visits to Pornhub, the world's largest adult content website, increased by another 5 billion times to 33.5 billion times.

That is to say, on average, every minute, 63,000 users around the world watch more than 200,000 videos and conduct 57,000 searches on Pornhub.

When it comes to sex, humans are always in a state of "can't wait", always wanting to try new things quickly.

One statistical data shows that among the developments of movable type, photography, paperback books, videotapes, cable and pay TV, the Internet, CD-ROMs and LaserDiscs, new technologies emerged faster than expected, driven by the pornographic element.

In this century, sex toys have achieved unprecedented development, and the intervention of artificial intelligence is pushing the sex industry towards sex robots.

Sex robots are getting smarter

In 2007, David Levy, chess master and artificial intelligence researcher, wrote a bold book: 《Falling in love with robots, having sex with robots》(Love and Sex with Robot).

In the book, he made an assertion:In 2050, humans will fall in love with robots, have sex with robots, and marry robots.

Twelve years have passed, and this statement is still very avant-garde.

But this view is enough to make countless people fascinated. A sex robot tester once said that the robot has one biggest advantage -It won't break your heart, won't run away from home, won't throw a tantrum for no reason, and won't leave you when you are penniless and down and out.

Ever since adult toys began to develop towards anthropomorphism, the emergence of sex robots seemed inevitable.

In 2009, adult products company Pygmalion launched**An intelligent adult doll.**In addition to its lifelike appearance, it can also follow simple instructions and automatically complete functions such as lubrication and heating. But at this point, it is just a refined humanoid toy.

In 2010, True Companion launched the world**Roxxxy.**It is said that in addition to having all the functions of a doll, it can also send emails to users, upgrade programs online, automatically expand vocabulary, and even chat with people using pre-recorded sentences.

By 2017, the more commercialHarmony It appeared, it was produced by Realbotix and is a highly completed sex robot.

To make the Harmony experience more like a real person, it has a built-in movable skeleton, and Realbotix has also designed a**High quality silicone,**It can simulate body temperature and touch. In terms of appearance, it can customize the color of eyes, hair, skin, and even makeup according to the user's personal preferences.

Harmony is not only beautiful, but also equipped with**Robotic transmission arm and thermal sensor,AndA mechanical head with a built-in AI system.**Therefore, the robot can interact with the user and respond to touch.

The language system is similar to Siri or Alexa, with users using a smartphone app connected to speakers and actuators in the robot's head. The software enables the facial movements so that it appears to talk and interact with the user.

This sex robot can smile, blink and frown. It can talk to people, make jokes, quote Shakespeare, remember your birthday and personal hobbies, chat with you about music, movies and books, and has 18 selectable personalities, such as "shy" and "sexy".

Of course, the company has not given up on the female market. Last year, they launched a popular boyfriend robot, Henry. But without exception, these robots are priced at thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.

If the user chooses to make out with Harmony, it activates the X-Mode option in the app, which triggers sex mode. It can automatically detect sexual activity and respond with facial expressions and sounds, and even have a simulated robotic orgasm.

Virtual Sexbot, sex from love

With the advancement of technology, external stimulation and sensory enjoyment have reached their peak, but the exploration of intimate relationships still needs some room for improvement.

Compared to bulky and expensive physical sex robots,Virtual robot character, in addition to being more approachable, it can also better meet people's emotional needs. Many people even think that compared with sensory satisfaction,Maintaining EmotionThis is the future of sex.

Moreover, with the development of AI technology, computer systems are increasingly able to understand users.

Ellen Kaufman, a Ph.D. from Indiana University who also focuses on the study of intimacy in technology, said, "The market for AI-based applications is much larger than the market for pure doll robots."

The 2013 movie "Her" tells the story of such a perfect virtual partner. The thoughtful but profound male protagonist, after experiencing the breakdown of his marriage, bought an intelligent operating system and found a "Perfect lover".

Samantha, the virtual assistant voiced by Scarlett, can see into the protagonist's heart through data. She can appear anytime and anywhere, accompany or comfort with patient and considerate words, and gradually make the gloomy protagonist become bright.

If the existence of silicone dolls is to satisfy material desires, thenLove robots that can communicate emotionally may win the hearts of many people. Realbotix is aware of this: that’s why it has also created a sex robot app as a virtual sex partner.
Using this app, users can experience the latest technology to create and customize their own AI-driven digital sex robot and establish a bond with it through their smartphone.

As it turns out, the app's total sales far outstripped those of the physical doll.

Perhaps this is not surprising to some people. For example, in 2018, a Japanese man held a wedding directly for the two-dimensional star "Hatsune Miku".

Sex robots: They can meet your needs, but they don’t quite understand

Whether it is close to the physical or spiritual communication, the existence of sex robots has not only received ethical and moral controversy, but technicians are more concerned about,Can they really understand human sexuality?

If it is simply a requirement of the algorithm that makes AI please humans sexually, then the computer will follow the programmed rules and turn urgency into a desire, leading to the continuous evolution of this behavior, which may eventually become a motivation similar to sexual desire.

In addition, we also know that current artificial intelligence and robots are still a long way from being a good sexual partner.

If you just want to satisfy your needs and get some comfort, the variety of sex toys available nowadays can satisfy your needs. But if you want deeper communication and interaction, you may have to wait until AI continues to grow.

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