The Sex Bots Are Coming! THE SEX BOTS ARE COMING!

[RJ 17]

Ahem...topic-title innuendos aside, a while ago I found this article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/sex-robots-a-reality-by-2050_n_1472802.html

It indicates that a couple researchers at the University of Washington believe we'll be bumpin' uglies with androids by 2050. I thought it was a bit silly and rolled my eyes at the time...but now IGN has posted this little nugget:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/09/24/owners-must-agree-not-to-have-sex-with-emotional-robot-pepper?utm_source=IGN%20hub%20page&utm_medium=IGN%20%28front%20page%29&utm_content=12&utm_campaign=Blogroll

As you can see in the link: the article is about a Japanese company which sells/leases out "emotional robots", and part of owning one requires you to sign a contract stipulating that you will not have sex with or perform lewd acts with your robot.

o.o

Now all I can think of is that episode of Futurama where Fry gets a Lucy Liu-bot:
Lucy Liu-bot: "I'll never forget you Fry...MEMORY: DELETED."

Alright class, the topic for discussion today is "Would You Bang A Robot? Why or Why Not." Be sure to show your work, no credit for partial answers.

 

[IceForce]

and part of owning one requires you to sign a contract stipulating that you will not have sex with or perform lewd acts with your robot.

Major buzzkill.

Anyway, I'm reminded of the recent British TV series Humans.

 

[Bobular]

I've already seen groups form in protest over this. Makes me think of a different Futurama episode, the one with robosexuals and the protests against that.

Will robosexual rights be the next generation's gay rights? Is Futurama right about everything?

Personally I don't see much difference between a sex bot and a blow up doll, sex bots will probably have the same ridicule and jokes applied to them.

 

[madwarper]

I hope no one tells these "researchers" that vibrators and fleshlights already exist, and have been in use for years.

 

[Scarim Coral]

So why they want a emotion robot over emotionless? So it can tell if your joke was funny or not?

 

[tippy2k2]

So....do they need volunteers to test these sex robots?

...for science of course

>.>

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

The first batch of Peppers sold out when one thousand people pre-ordered it in June for 198,000 yen (approximately US$1,610). Ownership involves an additional US$380-a-month in rent.

What. Who would buy that? That's $4500 a year just to be able to use the $1600 thing that they don't want us to bone.

 

[Thaluikhain]

The first batch of Peppers sold out when one thousand people pre-ordered it in June for 198,000 yen (approximately US$1,610). Ownership involves an additional US$380-a-month in rent.

What. Who would buy that? That's $4500 a year just to be able to use the $1600 thing that they don't want us to bone.

Well, maybe you can...wait, you can't use it to stalk and attack people either? Robots are for sex, or for murdering humans.

Maybe, maybe for being the partner of a police officer who gets up to wacky hijinks, but that's pushing it a bit.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'd fuck a robot, sure.

 

[Fox12]

O_O

*Unzips pants*

 

[FPLOON]

Sure... but, only if I'm pleasuring them instead of the other way around...

Other than that, fuck that contract! A lot of robots will take advantage of that shit if their "emotions" are in check...

 

[BoogieManFL]

Pfft, that "robot" isn't even a looker! Let alone anatomically... accessible.

But in all seriousness - wow. Hopefully when that day comes, it will at least have some benefit to mankind. Maybe to ease overcrowding.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Ehh.

Depends on the kind of robot, and a lot of other factors.
I certainly wouldn't rule it out, but I won't arbitrarily say I would, either.
It's just very hard to say without knowing in advance what we'd be talking about.
Which... Means knowing the future.
Which I don't. XD

 

[EHKOS]

This reminds me of that short story by John Shirley in his book In Extremis. It did not go well. Then again, I downloaded Windows 10 in hopes that Cortana was advanced enough to talk to.

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

robots that you want anything to do with sexually are not here yet

Speak for yourself. I was on board the instant I saw her come hither stare

Spoiler

 

[Jake Martinez]

"Sex Robots? HOW DISGUSTING! Now excuse me while I go over to the sex shop and buy a half a dozen 12 inch dildos and vibrators!"

Honestly, I think there is a dark subtext to some of these complaints and it's about how we view the relationship between men and women. To put it bluntly, many women secretly suspect that power in a relationship dynamic with a man is entirely predicated upon sex. If a man can go and get sex somewhere else, then they feel as if their value to the relationship has been diminished. Inversely, most men don't feel this way about the fact that pretty much every "modern girl" owns a vibrator or two. After all, we've been conditioned to believe that women give up sex to us in return for "things" (whatever those are) - so really, she's doing us a favor anyway

This is the dark side of the human ID that we try to avoid facing as much as possible. There's always this deep suspicion of men - that without the veneer of civilization or social constructs that protect women, that we'll turn into savages that will enslave them and turn them into rape dolls or something. Just watch practically any post-apocalyptic movie where human society breaks down - it's a constant theme.

Of course, it's all baloney based on some stupid ideas that women are all "lovey lovey" and men are all "rapey rapey". You know, just the typical dehumanization of the males of the species that we love to ignore.

I have to admit, as a man, I'm more than a little offended at the idea that I'm incapable of controlling myself in the face of tits or the idea that a sexy woman turns me into some sort of invalid bereft of reason or my libido makes me incapable of empathy and discerning harm.

 

[Imre Csete]

Fully Integrated Security Technetronic Officer active and reporting for duty.

Please assume the position.

 

[Xan Krieger]

Finally I can lose my virginity although knowing my luck the robot would reject me to

 

[Lightknight]

2050? Anyone surprised that it's that far away? Seems like it'd open up an entirely new industry full of profit. Those "real dolls" or whatever they're called already exist. Programs that learn already exist. Programs that use tactile feed back already exist. So it's really all about improving on existing tech rather than developing new tech.

So I think the 2050 mark is a little too conservative.

Would I participate in robot-human relations? Probably not. But I'm also happily married which makes the need for a robot null. Were I single? Yeah, especially were I lonely or something and the robot provided some semblance of human contact.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

While I'm definitely not in the market for a several thousand dollar sex toy(come on, these things are never going to be cheap), I'll never be that lonely without a deserted island involved. I don't have any moral problems with it provided we don't go full Blade Runner.

If they do become intelligences all their own, you can still have sex with them but now you require consent. Whether they'd ever want to is up in the air. I supposed we could wire synthetic nerves eventually, but they would have to be able to feel physical pleasure and that's a bit trickier to suss out how you'd program that without it seeming like an override of their will.