Yep. We’re talking about sex robots. Because, apparently that’s the moral battleground of the future, what lonely folk do while alone at home. You wouldn’t think there’d be an argument against this since it means there is a new option for people who are otherwise lonely or can’t obtain physical intimacy: a sex robot that can communicate and interact with its end user. Companies like Realdoll are racing to produce the first functional sex robot that crosses the uncanny valley.
Image courtesy The Guardian
But, apparently, there’s a contingent of folk out there, who strongly disagree with the idea of sex robots as a whole.
So I’m going to open this one up, and you might disagree with what I have to say, but you also have to admit you’re invested.
The Argument for Sex Robots
If I summarize here, it’s because everyone’s rather familiar with them. A sex robot allows someone who could otherwise not have an intimate relationship to have one. As we’ve marched forward, more demographics have emerged that fit this description beyond the traditional stereotype of a loner.
These include the elderly, the disabled as well as those who are unable or unwilling to engage in physical contact with real humans because of past trauma but still crave physical intimacy in a safe and controlled environment.
As long as the designers and developers are responsible enough, in theory, there shouldn’t be any issues, right?
The Argument against Sex Robots
Please. If you thought this innovation wasn’t going to have people fighting tooth and nail against it, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
To be fair, there are a lot of good arguments against sex robots. You, naturally, have feminists argue that it is both dehumanizing to women and teaches men the wrong lessons about intimacy. As well as the concern that more people are going to see sex as a commodity and less about respecting another person’s physical needs for intimacy.
Image courtesy The Daily Mail
On top of that, there’s the whole issue of people who would be perpetrating sex crimes if they performed the acts they do on sex robots on real people. I’m not even going to touch the whole issue with sex dolls designed to look like children. But you can’t talk about this without pointing out it’s there. Even the Salvation Army is arguing against the idea.
What Everyone Forgets
I’ve got news for you though; there is a bigger reason why the sex robots are being made and it’s not what you’d expect: Work.
You can argue this point, but the firm reality is most people do not have the time to develop a real relationship. The Japanese are the leading experts in this and we’ve covered it. During that piece, we mentioned how Japan is one of the leading countries for working overtime.
Do you want to know what else Japan leads in?
Dating Sims.
Image courtesy the Clannad Wiki
Why?
Because a salaryman doesn’t have the time to cultivate a relationship with such a heavy workload environment. No, I’m serious. One of the leading causes attributed to the rise of dating sims in Japan is the salaryman culture. On average it’s normal for a traditional salaryman to do over 80 hours of work and put a relationship on hold until certain financial goals are met. It’s what’s killing the birthing rate in Japan.
Heck, do you remember Gatebox? That AI home assistant that tore up the news cycle last December?
The big selling point of this entire thing isn’t sex, its intimacy. That’s where the human need isn’t being fulfilled. If it were just sex, it would end with the poseable sex dolls, and that would be that. A genuine craving for human intimacy during sex is legitimately not being met by the existing product, and it is driving the need hard.
There is a reason message boards dominated the internet in the 90s and early 2000s. There’s a reason Facebook hit one billion users. People are lonely. We are built to be a social species. There is a large enough demographic of people who want this innovation to come about that it’s a race among businesses akin to that of the electric car.
Because at the day, history has shown us that businesses aren’t always about the positive or negative ramifications of their product or service. But they are all about what the needs of the customers are and finding a way to fulfill them.
Mike Is a GTA Local Technology and Geek Interest Writer Having Worked in the Field for Nearly Ten Years as a Contributing Writer and Editor for Various Publications in Fashion, Entertainment, Gaming and News. Since Then He’s Offered a Variety of Opinions on Things and Then Moves on to the Next Bit of News That Interested Him. He Has Remained Properly Unfashionable Since 1987 and Plans to Stay That Way.
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The thing that everyone is missing is the fact that these bots are an effective strategy for men to avoid unplanned pregnancy, and also the possibility of causing harm by casual sex. These are 2 huge issues for society and these dolls provide a direct, effective solution to those problems.
But beyond that,
[1] Dolls do not drive cars and therefore do not consume fossil fuels or generate CO2 emissions.
[2] The use of dolls could lead to the complete extinction of many diseases, primarily STDs.
[3] Dolls are a safe-space for empathic men who want to experience an empathic relationship free of narcissistic abuse, even if it is a virtual, synthetic relationship.
[4] Dolls are a form of art and a legitimate one, we also have the art of romance and making love, even if it is synthetic. Are we once again attempting to ban art, and why would we be doing that.
[5] A proper relationship with a doll involves a lot of creativity and imagination for the human user. You literally need to create, or project an entire personality onto the doll in order to fully immerse yourself in the VR experience. If we ban these dolls, then we are effectively banning (genociding) the existence of these virtual persons. By enforcing such mind control on users, basically prohibiting them from using their imaginations in the privacy of their own homes, how can you possibly claim that men have any civil liberties whatsoever, not to mention reproductive rights. I find it genocidal toward virtual persons, and malicious vandalism of the rights of people based on gender.
[6] Dolls do not generate waste streams like humans do, so each time you use the doll to prevent an unwanted pregnancy you are literally saving the planet.
[7] Dolls give us one more tools in the arsenal to combat global population explosion. The people who are seeking to ban these dolls are short sighted, petty narcissists and they will destroy all of the good which could come from the use of these devices.
Maybe I just don’t care as much as the next guy, but who cares? If someone wants to spend the money on a sex doll like these, or 4 of them, and play with them all day, who am I to judge?
I agree that it will teach the wrong things about intimacy, but what if that is what the man, or women wants?
You are going to find it hard to talk to a person that would want one of these and does NOT think the sex robots are attractive in more ways than one. If you can make them just the way you want and they do not talk back, there is going to be a line to the moon to buy these things.
The funny things about robots is that people against robots speak like ifthey were living by themselves. They are only technology. They can’t love, can’t hate and can’t decide.
Cars don’t kill people on the roads, Internet does not publish any fake news, guns don’t kill people, But Human both men and women do, using technology.
if someone who is alone for any reason wants to stay hours watching tv or having sex with a robot what’s wrong with that ?
I don’t see anything wrong with it at all. Those people are likely to be sitting around watching porn videos anyways. Might as well get something out of it, even if it not “real”.
The bad thing about it all is that these are going to come with their own “brains”. that means, even if they are not actually learning, they will be able to freak out and malfunction to some degree and that could cause other issues.
I don’t want sex robots coming to my house. Sex robots are demons. What other people do is their business and does not concern me.
Well, this is a great point. They are demons and they are going to ruin life as we know it in the world, right?
I agree. Until the whack job that thinks having sex with a robot comes looking for your daughter and then treats her like one.
Well, if most of the men out there wouldn’t be jackasses, they might meet a nice lady.
LOL, well, sir, you might have just won the internet with that comment!
I guess either way you look at it, the company is not going to STOP making them. There is always going to be something to say on both sides of the coin, but that is not going to make a company stop making money.
This is true. There is always going to be a buyer for them. Regardless of what the company is putting together.
Too busy for a relationship? I can certainly see that being an issue for some people. that really makes sense and if you can just come home at night to have sex without conflict, what’s wrong with that?
Well, as this topic grows around the world, it will be interesting to see how everything plays out. If someone wants to buy one of these and use it at home, what do I have to say about it?