A new book, Sex Robots & Vegan Meat, has folks nervous about the future of robotics and sex. But is there any reason to be?
Jenny Kleeman writes "We are on the brink of an age when technology will redefine...the fundamental elements of our existence."
Kleeman looked at the production of AI-enabled, animatronic dolls used for sex. But her book isn't about fear according to a Guardian book review:"Her book is less a pearl-clutching polemic against progress than a concerned squint at what the future might hold".
She's not the first to look into the complex world of AI sexbots. Dr Kate Devlin's book Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots visited the Real Doll headquarters in California. She said of the robotic dolls she saw: "You definitely couldn't mistake Harmony for a real human, but the facial movements are quite subtle and quite natural."
But she also said it was unlikely the robots could replace human intimacy because they can't be mistaken for human.
She continued: "It's technically complex and difficult - and also very expensive - to make realistically-human robots. I don't think we will have robots that we mistake for humans in my lifetime.
"I don't think that sex robots will replace human intimacy. First, because these robots are niche and there are only a handful of workshops trying to develop them, and second, because we humans are generally drawn to other humans."
Often descriptions of "sex robots" are quite breathless attempts to describe things that many sex toys already have.
A robotic vulva that heats up? We already have toys that can be warmed. Sir Richard's Control Silicone Twin Turbo Stroker is a masturbator that warms before and during use.
The ultra-smooth silicone sleeve heats up to just the right temperature for a warm, realistic sensation. Both powerful motors offer intense vibrational patterns for incredibly satisfying personal entertainment.
Sex toys are already so advanced. Consider the KIIROO Onyx, the world's most advanced Teledildonic masturbator. Onyx brings a whole new sensory experience to the internet: Intimite touch. Inside Onyx are 10 contracting rings that work together to give you the feeling of real-time intercourse. Each Onyx is capable of connecting with a Kiiroo Pearl, or another KIIROO Onyx, and receiving data from those devices. In short, you can truly feel your partner's touch, in real-time, all over the world.
The Onyx connects safely and securely to the Kiiroo platform through Bluetooth technology. Once linked to Kiiroo, you can connect to the partner of your choosing for an interactive experience like no other. The secret is the Onyx's ten contracting rings that pair with the Onyx's sister toy, the Pearl. Every move she makes with her Pearl, you feel through your Onyx.
Capable of two way online communication, it features the patented SuperSkin Fleshlight sleeve for an experience that perfectly mimics the real feeling of penetration.
The BKK Cybersex Cup is an evolutionary smart sex toy, which combined virtual reality and motion-sensing technology. The cup set included a motion-sensing masturbation cup, a VR helmet, and a mobile application.The Mobile application which comes with the BKK cup, is the first ever 3D porn game for a smart phone. In the app you can customize your own 3D partner in every way you can imagine. You get to pick their body, skin tone, hairstyle and the outfit they wear.
So in the future will we even need sex robots? Maybe not with all of the innovations in the sex toy market.