Love and Sex with Robots?

Colbert discusses the future of robot sex

The human dating pool may soon see an immense expansion, according to author David Levy. But it may not be with humans. Count Stephen Colbert skeptical.

On The Colbert Report, the controversial author of Love and Sex with Robots espoused his theory that humans will one day develop emotional attachments to robots.

"The most common reason I think at the beginning will be that there are millions of people out there in the world who for one reason or another can't establish normal relationships with humans," Levy said. "They're lonely, they're miserable, and robots, when they are sophisticated enough, will be an excellent alternative."

To me it seems like logical progression. Technology advancements are not limited to computers and ICBMs.

As mentioned in the article, there are a growing number of people who cannot seem to find anyone they want a relationship with. And can one really blame them?

With statistics pointing to the fact that so many people have grown up in dysfunctional families, watching their parents battle it out in needless arguments and even violence, it stands to reason that people are becoming more cautious than ever about getting too seriously involved in romantic relationships, much less getting married. It is a sad state of affairs, indeed.

So is it any wonder that the adult film and sex toy industries are experiencing booms the likes of which can be compared to Exxon Corporation?

The extent to which the sex toy industry is seeking to emulate the human body for sexual purposes can be evidenced by a quick look at the company RealDoll. I will not provide a link to their page, lest I break the T&C, but a quick search and I don't think you will have any troubles finding it.

In essence they are creating extremely expensive, but realistic, full body and partial body human figures, with in many cases exaggerated sexual features for the fantasy fulfillment crowd. In a rather comical scene, Howard Stern supposedly tried one of these dolls and claimed it was the best sex he ever had.

Third party vendors have now added on to these dolls by introducing actual working mechanics that cause the doll to emulate sexual movements, thus approaching robot status.

In many an estimation, it won't be long before technology and wishful thinking meld to produce a pseudo human being almost worthy of being called a sex partner.

In the case that the reader questions ones ability to actually fall in love with one of these "robots," one only need read some of the comments from actual users.

As technology increases in this field, and these types of vanities evolve, I must question the impact of this on social well being, in addition to the issue of population growth. Could this propagate enough eventually to actually
threaten the human race due to lack of reproduction?

People already have sex with mechanical devices.

I don't see robots as anything new, just and extension of technology.

Colbert's show is not what I would consider to be a legitimate source of material for this forum, even if the book is real.

Might you find a source that provides a more serious treatment of the material that remains within the bounds of the T&C?

Frankly, for me, RealDolls are not an option.

Alexander Portnoy had better ideas than that.

[edit on 2008/1/20 by GradyPhilpott]

Portnoy's complaint?

Liver for lovin' and later; for dinner?

AcK!

Here's a link to a review of the book from the New York Times:

nytimes.com | Robo Love | By ROBIN MARANTZ HENIG

Oops! You have to login, well here's the excerpts I posted in my thread over on BTS in the "Relationships Forum" (where it was promptly moved after I posted it in the "General Chit Chat" forum):

From the article:Robo Love
By ROBIN MARANTZ HENIG

A few months ago I wrote a magazine article about scientists who are building robots capable of a rudimentary form of sociability. As part of my research, I spent a few days at the humanoid robotics laboratory at M.I.T. And I admit: I developed a little crush on one of the robots. The object of my affection was Domo, a man-size machine with a buff torso and big blue eyes, a cross between He-Man and the Chrysler Building; when it gripped my hand in its strong rubbery pincers I felt a kind of thrill. So I was primed for the basic premise of David Levy’s provocative new book, “Love and Sex With Robots”: that there will soon come a day when people fall in love with robots and want them for companions, friends, love objects and possibly even partners for sex and marriage.

That day is imminent, Levy writes, especially the sex part. By the middle of this century, he predicts, “love with robots will be as normal as love with other humans, while the number of sexual acts and lovemaking positions commonly practiced between humans will be extended, as robots teach more than is in all of the world’s published sex manuals combined.”

nytimes.com | Robo Love | By ROBIN MARANTZ HENIG

Actually, it's already happening, at hourly rates, in Korea:

Robot sex already exists, sort of, in the form of sex dolls — generally slim, big-breasted females with pliable “cyberskin” and a fake heartbeat that increases as the doll mimics arousal. Levy helpfully includes the addresses for Web sites where such dolls can be purchased today for several thousand dollars each. He also writes about the “doll experience rooms” in many Korean hotels (25,000 won, or about $25 an hour), which sprang up after that country cracked down on prostitution in 2004. There was some debate over whether paying for sex with dolls was also illegal, but for now, according to Levy, the prostitution ban applies only to intercourse with other humans.

nytimes.com | Robo Love | By ROBIN MARANTZ HENIG

Ewww, doll whores!


reply to post by TrueAmerican


Hey! That image shows two "female" robots "kissing!"

Now that's hot!

BTW,Colbert cracks me up, almost worth getting a tv again...




[edit on 20-1-2008 by goosdawg]

That Korea reference is a good example of why this is even becoming an issue. Everyone should just legalize prostitution. A hooker is cheaper than a robot, cleans up after herself (or himself...) , and doesn't increase our dependence on foreign oil!

Plus, they often provide emotional support and consul for their clients. People who have problems starting or maintaining a stable relationship can find friend-rental very therapeutic. Turning to a robot lover would only exasperate their social impotence.