Artificial technology, or AI is a versatile technology that shows no signs of slowing down. Everywhere you look, AI is present to some degree: in your cell phone helping you text (looking at you, autocorrect), online when you shop and a chat assistant pops up, and even in self-checkout stands at grocery and department stores.
AI is even used in artistic ventures, helping artists and photographers enhance and edit images and videos. AI is often used in movies to enhance scenes without placing actual actors in precarious situations or in scenes where it’s not practical for people to go. In short, AI has many applications that benefit society, even if some of them don’t seem entirely designed to do just that.
Enter the AI sex robot. While this term may sound like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, it’s something that actually exists and impacts society in a variety of ways. What is this AI technology, and what is behind its creation? Who or what is the AI sex bot created for? What are its benefits or impact on society? How would you encounter this AI technology in your life? And finally, what would you do with a sex bot?
Explore also how society is impacted by AI sex bots as a whole, and it may be in more ways than you’d think. The more you know and understand the various ways AI can be used, the more you can trust and utilize this technology in your life, even when it comes to intimate health.
What Is a Sex Bot?
If you think a sex bot is a robot used for sex, then you’d be right — for the most part. Sex bots, also known as sex robots, are android robots designed to be used for sexual purposes and companionship. In other words, they’re artificially intelligent robots designed to have sexual intercourse with humans.
Consider them the sex doll of the future (actually, the now), with more interactive and realistic features than their blow-up or silicone counterparts, and with far more versatile uses as well. You’d be surprised just what a sex bot can be utilized for and potentially how beneficial it can be.
Why Were Sex Bots Created?
A common belief revolving around the creation of sex bots may be that they were invented to replace the human companion. While this is an easy theory, it doesn’t ring true based on how sex robots are actually utilized. Still others may believe that the robot was initially invented for other purposes, perhaps as a military tool, and became sexualized as a by-product. Perhaps both of these theories have some minor truth to them, but there is another possibility: that the sex bot was created to impact society in a more beneficial way than one might guess.
The basic history behind the creation of the sex bot is more wholesome than one may think: the purpose of the sex bot was to create a way for people to explore their sexuality with confidence and without the worry of exploitation and rejection. For the elderly or socially awkward especially, the creation of sex robots aimed to help people feel better about their sexual and romantic abilities, thus helping them feel more confident in making potential real-life connections with other humans. The fact that sex robots are AI-enhanced so they can communicate with their ‘partners’ helps support this theory, although the largely male purchase of these robotic romantic aids is purely for sexual pleasure.
The Not-So-Subtle Difference Between A Sex Bot and a Sex Doll
To the untrained eye, the sex bot and sex doll may look almost interchangeable. Both can be made of high-quality construction to give them a poseable and realistic appeal. Both are intended to be used for sexual gratification. Both of them can be customized to meet the needs of their owner, including having custom hair, nails, clothing, and other features.
That’s where similarities end, however. While the sex doll can be posed and made to look life-like, it’s not interactive in any way. The sex bot, by contrast, uses AI technology to ‘communicate’ with its owner. Based on the model and type of sex bot purchased, the sexual aid can be taught to communicate in a variety of ways, including learning a new name, hobbies, activities, and other things its owner wants it to know or talk about. Over time, this AI bot can essentially gain a personality. Some sex bots even come equipped with several personalities to choose from and can be used with apps to further personalize them based on the desires of their owner companion.
This makes a sex bot more companionable than a simple sex doll or other sexual aid, thereby creating the question: what impact does the sex bot have on society? Will the sex bot replace human-to-human interaction, especially in individuals who are already socially challenged? Can a sex bot help improve human relationships, or will it create unrealistic expectations for sexual and communicative interactions between people? There’s certainly lots to explore.
Who Is the Sex Bot for?
The sex bot is not entirely a household name, nor is it a common purchase as a whole. You’re unlikely to come across a sex bot in a department store or any other location unless you’re actively seeking one out. While the majority of sex bots are female in design (commonly referred to as fembots or genoids), there are male counterparts of this android sexual device available for purchase as well. Of all the types of sex bots on the market, men have always been the main consumers.
The target demographic of a sex bot varies but remains decidedly male, and the introverted or fantasy-based male at that (more on this as you read on). However, anyone who has the funds and desire to purchase a sex bot can do so, and the concept of a sexualized robotic companion is continuing to become an acceptable norm in society. Which brings us to the next question:
How Do Sex Bots Impact Society?
This is a question with several answers, each as thought-provoking as the next. While the sex bot has only been around for about a decade or so, its unique appeal and unexpected potential benefits make it a subject worth exploring.
Making Sexual Gratification More Accessible
Circling back to the original idea that sex bots were created with the idea of helping people, it’s easy to assume that the existence of a robotic sexual aid can make accessing safe and regular sexual gratification more successful. People who live in assisted living centers or nursing homes who don’t have spouses or companions of their own may benefit from the use of a sex bot, both for sexual gratification and verbal companionship.
Individuals who have a fear of intimacy or a poor history with sexual partners can use sex bots to uncover their hangups and address them properly, without having to turn to other vices such as pornography, prostitution, or other means. Being able to communicate with their robotic partner while satisfying their sexual needs and desires can help create a ‘more human’ intimacy for these individuals.
Making Sexual Exploration the Norm
While sexual exploration is becoming more and more acceptable in our modern society, the introduction of sex robots can help bridge the gap between sexual exploration and sexual exploitation of either gender. In utilizing sex robots for sexual fantasies that may otherwise appear exploitative or questionable to regular society, a person could explore their sexual curiosities from the comfort of their own home and do so without judgment.
This can lead to making sexual exploration (especially regarding feminism) the norm, providing a more open environment for discussing sexual needs and curiosities without offending or sexualizing fellow people. While sex robots may not come up in casual conversation or be a common staple in most households, as they grow in technology and other advancements, they can become part of the intimate world people explore every day. They may even one day be as commonplace in an adult or lingerie store as private intimate toys.
Making Sexual Therapy More Productive
Some people may even benefit from using sex bots as part of a sexual therapy session. Similar to how sex bots could be used in an assisted living or nursing home setting, a sex robot could be used to initiate intimate conversation or connection with other people, using the androids as example subjects. A therapist can use a sex robot to guide a patient through healthier sexual exploration and safe sexual practices without putting other human beings at risk.
Conversely, a sex robot could be used to help a person who has been convicted of sexual assault or who has a sex addiction overcome their issues so they can become part of regular society again. In this regard, sex bots could essentially be used to safeguard the general public against sexual deviants (it would be expected that these individuals would also undergo therapy or otherwise be under supervision).
Making Sexual Intercourse Safer
With sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, unwanted advances, and other potential consequences of human-contact sexual intercourse ever-present, the advent of yet another sexual aid is not something to shy away from. Rather, it’s something to embrace as a safer alternative to the natural human urge and desire to mate. A sex robot cannot transmit or contract a sexual disease, cannot become pregnant, and is human-like enough to encourage an owner to use respect and their form of consensual practices before sexual interactions.
Will Sex Robots Intrude on Real-Life Intimacy?
Where other sexual aids simply provide private pleasure, a sex robot can potentially provide something more — an actual human connection and bond of sorts. While this may sound like something out of a futuristic movie, the reality is this: sex robots are becoming more and more capable of human-like expression, communication, and even the mimicry of feeling. This can make these androids far more beneficial to society as helpful and safe intimacy aids than previously believed. If people can learn to interact with other people in an intimate manner using sex robots to ‘train’ them, can this potentially make all types of intercourse better for people? Or will sex robots actually intrude on real-life intimacy?
The answer to this is uncertain: no one really knows. Sex robots have yet to become mainstream, and are not easily affordable for the average person to obtain easily. Many people still don’t see the benefit of sex robots in their own lives, although the curiosity surrounding this AI tool is growing. What is known is that sex robots can provide several benefits that help humans better discover their own intimate needs, and, potentially, the needs of others.
The Future of Sex Robots
While you can’t expect sex robots to completely replace human interaction and they’re not a perfect design yet (many sex robots cannot even stand on their own, and have rudimentary kinks to work out over time), the fact that there is a demand for them and technology is growing to meet these demands means sex robots aren’t just a fad or technological S&M fantasy. The future of sex robots is unclear, but not in a negative sense: they’re growing in acceptance as part of modern society and as futuristic and strange as they may seem to some, aren’t going away anytime soon.
Sex Robots and Society Moving Forward
Sex robots haven’t challenged the fine line between reality and AI relationships as of yet, so there’s no telling where the technology will take this niche android. What we do know is that the sex bot has more potential and benefits for the human race than simply providing sexual pleasure. It can provide comfort, companionship, safety, privacy, and even aid in mental health and other issues.
The world of technology is not only ever-evolving, it’s forever surprising society with what it can accomplish and what needs it can meet. When it comes to sexualized robots, the idea is to keep an open mind, remove all thoughts of feeling threatened or replaced by a pretty machine, and explore the reality that perhaps a sex robot is more than just a fetish. Perhaps it can bring a lot more good to the world than anyone would have ever imagined.