The sex robots are coming | The World Weekly

Some scientists are calling it “the natural progression” of human evolution, but will sex with robots really become normalised in the near future?

This week saw the second ‘International Congress of Love and Sex with Robotics’ take place in London. Because of course that exists in 2016. There, scientists and developers from around the world met to discuss the future of artificial intelligence in the bedroom. Contributors suggested that with AI and robotic technology becoming more sophisticated, the future promises lifelike robotic sex dolls. In 25 years, the humanoid device could be integrated into people’s lives to provide sexual pleasure and companionship. With robots taking care of people’s basic sexual needs, experts suggest that intercourse between couples may be relegated to special occasions and functional procreation.

David Levy, author of ‘Love and Sex with Robots’, says in the future robots could be made to look like your favourite celebrity. After acquiring licensing rights it would be conceivable that one could order a doll the spitting image of a popstar or actress of the day.

Kate Devlin, computing expert at Goldsmiths, London, however, is concerned with data collection. With machines learning the sexual preferences of their users there is a fear that people’s weird and wild tastes could be stored and potentially exploited.

Furthermore, similar to fears about online pornography, teenage users of the dolls might develop unnatural expectations surrounding sexual intercourse, losing one’s virginity to a robot could become commonplace. Even darker is the potential reality that there will be nothing to stop a user ordering a robot that looks exactly like their ex-girlfriend.