Sex robots, also known as sexbots, are anthropomorphic robots incorporating the features of sex dolls to emulate the expected movements and behaviors during sex. , although elaborately instrumented sex dolls have been created by a number of inventors, no fully animated sex robots yet exist. Current prototypes are rudimentary in nature but have demonstrated the capacity to articulate spoken language, display facial expressions, and respond to tactile stimuli. The recent utilization of artificial intelligence has enhanced their realism.
The ethical implications of developing such technology remain a subject of considerable controversy and debate both pro and con. The ethical implications, the impacts on intimacy, and the potential regulatory framework surrounding these practices have been subjects of considerable debate.
Lexicology People who are sexually attracted to sexbots are sometimes referred to as digisexuals or robosexuals.
Gender neutral terms for sex robots include pleasure bot or sex droid. Sexbots with a female shape design have been referred to as chick-bots or fembots. Sexbots with a male shape design may be referred to as malebots or manbots.
History and development The sex robot has evolved from sex doll precursors that first appeared as consumer goods sold in France, beginning in the 1850s through rubber goods magazines as "rubber women" (). These early sex dolls emerged from European and American industry during the 1800s Brazilian rubber boom, alongside the invention of vulcanized rubber. The first documented appearance of these rubber sex dolls is in an article from French newspaper reporting from an exhibition of American rubber products at the 1855 world's fair. Much of the inspiration for creating the modern sex doll came from mannequin-based art created by Hans Bellmer, Man Ray and Salvador Dalí. Man Ray claimed that surrealists, including himself and Dalí, infused their work with eroticism and personally "violated" their mannequins. For example, Dalí's Rainy Taxi centered on a female mannequin whose half-undressed body was crawling with live snails.
By 1968, inflatable dolls were first advertised in pornographic magazines and became available for purchase via mail. These sex dolls were inflatable with air; consisting of penetration areas at the mouth, vagina, and anus. However, due to their inflatable nature, these dolls were subject to deterioration and were not sustainable for constant use. By the 1970s, materials such as latex and silicone were widely used in the manufacturing of sex dolls to facilitate enhanced durability and a greater resemblance to a human.Ferguson, Anthony. The Sex Doll: A History. McFarland, 2010. p 31. )
The realism of sex dolls greatly accelerated in the late 1990s. In 1997, Matt McMullen began constructing lifelike, tin-cured silicone rubber mannequins called RealDolls that were "realistic, posable, and life-sized". McMullen received much criticism about the anatomical correctness of his mannequins, using this as motivation to create a more enhanced version. In 2009, McMullen switched to using platinum-cured material, instead of tin-cured silicone, to further enhance the durability and lifelike nature of the doll. Consequently, all other sex doll manufacturers have followed suit.
Many manufacturers, including Matt McMullen, believed that companionship is a critical part of the sexbot dynamic and that incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into them is the next step. As of 2018, various new models have been constructed to hold conversations, remember important facts, and express various emotions. One such model is "Harmony", created by McMullen, which is customizable by using a mobile app, where users can choose from "thousands of possible combinations of looks, clothes, personalities and voices to make your perfect companion".
State of research Sex robots are still in a relatively early stage of development. While sex dolls have been available on the market for more than 20 years and there are accordingly established doll owner communities available for research, experienced users of sex robots are hardly to be found so far. Nevertheless, the topic of sex robots has been treated quite intensively in international research since 2007, triggered by David Levy's monograph Love and Sex With Robots. A systematic research review from the year 2020 was able to identify 98 international academic publications on sex robots. These academic sex robot publications focus on the following six research questions:
What are the appropriate theoretical conceptualizations of sex robots? What are the main ethical aspects of sex robots? What empirical findings on the use and effects of sex robots are available? How are sex robots represented in art and media? How should child sex robots be regulated legally? What are the appropriate designs and design processes for sex robots?
The majority of the available academic sex robot publications deals with ethical aspects, focusing on both currently available sex robots (that have only very limited artificial intelligence and interactivity) and future sex robots (that are envisioned as being sentient and having a free will). While at least some findings on experienced users are available on sex dolls, corresponding empirical data on sex robot users are missing. The academic sex robot discourse is – similar to the public discourse – so far characterized by relatively striking ideas about strong positive or strong negative effects of sex robots. Weak as well as ambivalent effects, which are theoretically and empirically most probable, are rarely discussed.
Likewise, sex robots are often regarded and criticized as predetermined products. Rarely is it considered in the state of research so far that the appearance as well as the functions and target groups of sex robots can be actively designed, for example by and for women, queer people, older people or people with disabilities. Those human-centered design processes can be the subject of academic sex robot research as well.
The sex robot research community meets at the "International Love and Sex With Robots Conference" series initiated by David Levy held for the sixth time in 2021 as the "6th International Congress on Love & Sex with Robots".
Predictions In 2014, David Levy said in an interview with Newsweek that "I believe that loving sex robots will be a great boon to society ... There are millions of people out there who, for one reason or another, cannot establish good relationships." He estimates that this will take place by the mid-21st century.
In 2017, MIT Press published the first book on this topic, Robot Sex, with a preliminary approach to the several challenges this field represents for human beings and societies.
Attempts at realization There are ongoing attempts to make sex dolls socially interactive. In 2010, a sex doll called Roxxxy, that had the capacity to play back pre-recorded speech cues, was demonstrated at a trade show. In 2015, Matt McMullen, the creator of the RealDoll stated that he intended to create intelligent sex dolls with the capacity to hold conversations.
Barcelona-based Dr. Sergi Santos developed a sex robot named Samantha; the robot can switch between a "sex mode" (which can include Samantha simulating a female orgasm) and a "family mode", in which it can also tell jokes and discuss philosophy.
In 2017, Matt McMullen created a sex doll called "Harmony", which has the capability of learning about the personal preferences, wants and desires of the owner. Furthermore, Harmony can smile, blink and frown in a nearly human-like fashion. She can hold a conversation, tell jokes, remember food preferences, and the names of the owner's siblings. The cost of Harmony is said to be roughly $15,000. During an onstage interview with Engadget in 2018, Matt McMullen demonstrated that the skin on Harmony's face could be peeled off and replaced with different skin. He subsequently added a different colored wig and changed her personality by using the app on his handheld device that controls the robot. He named this sex doll "Solana" and considers it to be the "sister" of Harmony.Trout, Christopher. "There's a New Sex Robot in Town: Say Hello to Solana." Engadget, Oath Tech Network, 10 January 2018.
In 2018, Realbotix, the company behind the RealDoll, announced the creation of the first-ever male sex bot, Henry. Henry will have a customizable bionic penis which will be able to "go as long as you want" as it plugs into electricity instead of using batteries. Buyers will also be able to order a customizable robotic head that can be controlled by an app on the user's phone.
Potential benefits and advocates Scholars such as Hojjat Abdollahi argue that these robots can act as "robot companions" that aid elderly people with dementia or depression. After conducting a study on many elderly patients, it was found that elderly individuals were interested in having an intimate robot as their companion and their interest did not decay over time. He further explains that these patients established meaningful rapport with the robot companion and that they greatly valued its presence. Bioethicist Nancy S. Jecker also suggests that older people with disabilities lose their sexual functioning because of physical changes, due to aging and disease, but also because of social stigma and scorn. Jecker argues that these robots are a way to "support dignity" and continue the ability to be sexual by dispelling ageism and negative stereotypes about later-life sexuality. The robot companion "Paro", created by Takanori Shibata, has been used since 2009 as a therapeutic machine for the elderly suffering with dementia as well as those suffering from depression and anxiety. Paro is designed to respond to touch, remember faces and learn certain actions that promote a favorable reaction in the patient. Although Paro was not designed to be a sex robot specifically, Paro is an example of how intelligent machines could become a suitable therapeutic option.Korn, Oliver, et al. Social Robots. A Workshop on the Past, the Present and the Future of Digital Companions. Offenburg University of Applied Sciences, 2017, affective-lab.org/social-robots-a-workshop/
Some manufacturers have also argued that their introductions into prisons may reduce prison rape and sexual tension in prison. Scholars like Oliver Bendel suggest that sex robots could be the solution to establishing sexual health and diminishing sexual tensions beyond in prison.
Manufacturers have also suggested sex robots may alleviate sexlessness in location encumbered professions such as long-haul truck drivers, all-male oil rigs, or encumbered careers that delay social commitments. Sex robots can also help avoid problems of unwanted pregnancies, forced marriages, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexual violence, which would be issues in brothels and with prostitutes.
As the state of the art progresses (robotics and AI), thus providing a viable substitute for humans, some predict there could be a positive externality in the reduction of human trafficking and prostitution. This would be an example of technological unemployment that is seen as a benefit to the exploited being used by those activities.
Potential negatives and opposition In September 2015, Kathleen Richardson of DeMontfort University and Erik Billing of the University of Skövde created the , calling for a ban on the creation of anthropomorphic sex robots. Richardson is critical of David Levy and argues that the introduction of such devices would be socially harmful and demeaning to women and children. Her concerns regarded the normalizing relationships with machines and the potential reinforcement of female dehumanization.