Romantic relationships with robots — harmful or helpful?
By: Anti Socialmedia
Tags: Relationships, Robots, Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, Technology

Copyright [India Today Conclave on Youtube]

Digisexuality, artificial intelligence & sexbots

McArthur & Twist’s (2017) analysis of digisexuality explore two distinct waves of sexual technologies: the universally adopted ‘first wave’ and the emerging ‘second wave’. Digisexuality can be defined as “sexual experiences that are enabled or facilitated by digital technology” (McArthur & Twist, 2016, p.334). The first wave involves communication and networking technologies that facilitate sexual interactions between humans. The widespread use of pornography sites and dating applications have become seamlessly integrated in our relationships and romantic encounters. The novel second wave deals with the inclining absence of humans in providing sexual experiences through robotic replacement — a shift which Turkle deems as a threat to human relationships.

In 2017, Matt McMullen constructed the first AI sex doll called ‘Harmony’ giving users the chance to build the perfect companion via personalisation tools such as looks and voices (@https://realbotix.com/Harmony). Turkle (2017) argues that the birth of such experiences undermine the authenticity of real life relationships raising significant issues surrounding the future of intimacy. Will robotic affection replace human affection? In 2020, more individuals are likely to consider having sex with a robot — figures are up by 6% since the same questions were asked in 2017 (Nguyen, 2020). Turkle claims that easy access to technology has created a generation too lazy to make an effort to tackle “rich and demanding” (Turkle, 2012, 7:12) human relationships. Thus, we resort to technology which offers the ‘illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship’ (Turkle, 2017, p.1), choosing to sacrifice reality with artificiality to temporarily satisfy our (sexual) need for a connection.

“People disappoint, robots will not” (Turkle, 2017)

In another world…

David Levy’s (2007) utopian view of sexbots favours their therapeutic benefits; technology fills the void in the lives of those who are incapable of maintaining a relationship. He states that ‘customers who are unsatisfied by their real-world sexual encounters may…explore…their sexuality in a safe, nonjudgmental space’ (Levy 2007, p.208).

Copyright [Warner Bros. Pictures on YouTube]

Similar themes are embedded in popular culture; the film Her (2013) narrates the story of Theodore who falls in love with his operating system, Samantha, who helps him cope with his depression caused by a recent divorce. The ability for computers to possess human qualities is known as the ELIZA effect (Hofstadter, 1995). Samantha adopts the role of a therapist; her calming voice and conscious awareness of her interaction with humans results in Theodore seeing the therapeutic software as a ‘her’. This highlights the necessity of AI robots in (1) creating a fulfilled sex life and (2) escaping difficulties of everyday life.

It’s not a utopia for everyone

Creator of sex robot ‘Roxxxy’, Douglas Hines, defends their useful role in society via sex therapy. He claims the physical and sexual pleasure provided by sexbots can help minimise sex trafficking, physical and sexual abuse (Reid, 2018). However, Cox-George & Bewley (2018) indicate a lack of evidence supporting these claims suggesting they in fact have the opposite effect. Like Turkle, leader of Campaign Against Sex Robots Kathleen Richardson (2016) is critical of Levy & Hines, arguing female sexbots promote harmful sociosexual norms contributing to the objectification of women.

“Paedophiles [and] rapists…need therapy, not dolls” (Richardson, 2015)

Sex robots create the impression of sex as a commodity. The possibility of having sex outside a person, reduces emotional attachments to mere female body parts for male gratification reinforcing Mulvey’s (1975) Male Gaze theory of women, real or not, as sexual objects. Patriarchal much. So, while some argue that these inventions are the key to satisfaction, I agree with Turkle and Richardson that sexbots are in fact, a degradation to the human race and name of love.