The Week has one of those absolutely useless pieces of journalism up in which some "experts" tells us what the future might be like. The subject is the possibility that robot dolls might one day replace prostitutes. The good folks at The Week asked the expert this gem of a question:
The answer is pretty telling too:
And I love the question "Would it devalue human intimacy?" Gee, what would make you think that literally dehumanizing sex would devalue human intimacy?
My guess, however, is that all this is just wheel spinning. That there will never be a truly convincing sex robot. It's a purely academic question for me in any case as I never intend to find out.
Hold on. Isn't having sex with a robot inescapably creepy?You know, 'cause having sex with human prostitutes is like, totally non-creepy.
The answer is pretty telling too:
Perhaps. But the study's authors argue that robot sex "won't sound nearly as weird" in 2050 as it does today, and will likely be considered a luxury rather than a taboo. Still, a host of questions looms, says Lauren Davis at io9. Does having sex with a robot count as infidelity? Would it devalue human intimacy? And would laws be passed to ensure that sex robots aren't built to resemble children or racial stereotypes, such as submissive Asian women?Consider the question of creepiness when you look at that last sentence. Because we all know that there are no actual Asian women working in prostitution right now who will play up any racial stereotypes for customers willing to pay in that famously non-creepy sex trade.
And I love the question "Would it devalue human intimacy?" Gee, what would make you think that literally dehumanizing sex would devalue human intimacy?
My guess, however, is that all this is just wheel spinning. That there will never be a truly convincing sex robot. It's a purely academic question for me in any case as I never intend to find out.
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