Sex robots are getting closer and closer to us?

 

Sex robot

The robots used in sexual relations seem to be not far from us, but as Rose Eveleth said, the reality is far more complicated than imagined. In the two recent films "Her" and "Ex Machina", the filmmakers explored a fascinating concept: whether humans will fall in love with artificial intelligence or robots and want to have sex with them relation. Of course, this is not the first time that human beings are obsessed with artificial virtual human bodies. You can even trace it back to Pygmelon in ancient Greek mythology, the king of Cyprus who loves his maiden statue.

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and robotics, some people claim that robots designed for love and sex have gradually approached reality. For example, in his book "Love and Sex with Robots", David Levy predicted that by 2050, marriages between humans and robots will be normal.

However, although it seems that we are at the forefront of a new sexual revolution, the truth is more complicated. Designing and building a sex robot is actually more difficult than most people think. It is already quite a challenge to make these robots look pleasant and not look weird. On the other hand, it is unimaginable to overcome the obstacles facing the sex industry to obtain funding. Now if a company wants to launch a sex robot that is affordable and convincing for ordinary people, it can only show that the company ignores the reality of both technical research and management regulations.

Before exploring the answer to the question, let us first figure out what a sex robot is. Technically, a sex robot can be any machine with which you can have sex. Some devices already exist as some form of sex toys, and they are connected to smart applications that stimulate real senses, such as vibrating sticks that can be programmed and remotely controlled. Shelly Ronen, who is engaged in research on relationships, sex and sex toys at New York University, said: “There are already many things that are anatomically similar to the human body and can produce a more direct fantasy experience than pornography. , It’s easier to control than human sexual partners."

Some of these toys have been successful, and some have failed in the market. In 2009, a device called RealTouch was launched on the market, which can connect men with pornographic videos and simulate the perception of actors on the screen in real time. According to a report from the technology news site Gizmag, this experience is quite real. However, despite its good authenticity, RealTouch has never opened the market. After a patent infringement lawsuit, the product stopped selling in 2013.

However, most of these devices are actually sex dolls, not robots. When people talk about sex robots, they are referring to robots that have a human appearance and have the ability to perform sexual activities. This means that these robots need to have some kind of artificial intelligence that enables them to "think" rather than simply react to feelings.

Currently, the closest robot to a fully humanoid is a sex doll launched by Abyss Creations, a California-based company. The company manufactures and sells a doll called "Real Doll", which can realistically simulate human characters, with various fine human features (such as freckles on the skin) and "personality" for you to customize.

"Real Doll" has many obsessive fans, many of whom have established contact with each other because of this extraordinary doll. There was even a small group called "Doll Doctors" who went to different places to repair the damaged "Real Doll". This kind of doll is very expensive, each of which sells for between US$5,000 and US$10,000, depending on the custom features you order. However, dolls are just dolls, they are not attractive sexual partners, nor are they sex robots. At least not yet.

Some people worry that sex robots will harm already marginalized sex workers

A real sex robot should be able to track the user’s eye movements, observe what the user is looking at, respond to the user’s facial expressions, and predict and even initiate the user’s favorite actions. It must learn the positions and strengths that make the user most pleasant, ask and answer questions during sex, and also show some kind of emotional activity that a sexual partner should have.

The prospect of sex robots—not dolls or equipment—is much more complicated than we thought. AV Flox, a reporter who reports on sex, law, and technology, said: “Sex robots require the integration of multiple disciplines, from replicating non-uniform skin textures to artificial intelligence capable of autonomous language understanding.” Create a real order A satisfactory sex robot requires a lot of engineering skills, starting from the skin, and then to the various joints, as well as battery life and internal processors.

First, they must be some kind of robot that can stand up. Current sex dolls and other humanoid robots are very heavy (Real Doll can weigh up to 47 kg), and their structure cannot bear their own weight. The sex robot must not only be able to stand, but also rely on its own limbs to move. This is not a simple task. Robot experts are still working hard to study how to replicate smooth human motion.

Sex robots also need realistic skin. Anyone who has touched silicone products knows that there is no skin sensation, and silicone requires a lot of effort to keep it clean. Replicas must not only have the unevenness of human skin, but also have the corresponding touch, elasticity and color, which is very difficult to achieve. In October 2015, Singapore researchers announced that they had developed artificial skin that can feel pressure. However, this kind of skin still can't feel the temperature, can't stretch, and it doesn't feel like human skin.

Inside the sex robot, scientists need to develop artificial intelligence that can interact with and learn from human partners. In recent years, artificial intelligence has developed by leaps and bounds, but it is still unable to simulate many emotional experiences related to sex and love. Computers may be able to beat humans on a chessboard, but sex is more like a dance; each participant needs to make quick predictions and responses to the actions of their partners. Currently, artificial intelligence and autonomous language learning still have a long way to go.

In addition, designers must overcome almost impossible obstacles to create robots that are not creepy. Even the most advanced humanoid robots currently cannot do this. Futurist and science fiction writer Madeline Ashby (Madeline Ashby) said that she believes that the initial sex robots will not be exactly the same as humans in appearance. “I think we are more likely to see a comic style first. Appearance, I think this is the way to overcome obstacles, that is, to create faces, bodies, and shapes that are more similar to cartoons or animations, or game characters."

These are all very interesting but extremely difficult technical problems. Many people are doing research on these issues, but if you want sex robots to become a reality, you need a large team consisting of engineers, robot experts, sex doll designers, computer scientists, and more professionals. In order to make a convincing product. "They won't be as simple as a genius to assemble them," Flox said.

The research of sex robots not only has to face scientific and technical challenges, but also involves more issues in real application, such as funding, law, and cultural public opinion.

For entrepreneurs, the argument for and against these robots is complicated. For example, some people worry that sex robots may harm already marginalized sex workers, while others feel that the advent of sex robots will make sex workers safer. Most of the views held by people who oppose sex robots are based on the fact that sex work itself is bad. This view has been repeatedly criticized by sex workers and NGOs such as Amnesty International.

The issue of money is also very important. For companies engaged in the sex industry, finding investment is a very difficult task. In the United States, there are various formal and informal rules that make it more difficult for companies engaged in the adult industry to survive. Banks will not give these companies small business loans, credit card companies will reduce transactions, and payment processing service companies will charge additional fees. Technology platforms like the Apple App Store and Google Play will not approve adult content. Search engines will not display adult content unless you specifically look for it. Even so, some content is filtered.

Investors don't see the prospect of investing money in adult products. It's not because they are serious, "but because they know that the profits of these products are quite limited when they enter the market," Flox said.

This situation is not only happening in the United States. The second "Love and Sex with Robots" (Love and Sex with Robots) International Academic Annual Conference was originally scheduled to be held in Malaysia in November 2015. However, in October, the Chief of Police declared the meeting illegal and the organizers could only Temporarily canceled. “Due to factors beyond our control, the second International Conference on'Love and Sex with Robots' will be postponed to 2016. This conference will not be held anywhere in Malaysia. We are very responsive to any individuals who feel offended by this. The agency expresses its deep apologies," said the news on the conference website.

Sex robots will eventually appear in human society. They will be extremely expensive, and manufacturers have to fight against regulations and public opinion, while looking for new forms of profitability. However, it would be unrealistic to think that we are about to usher in a great sex robot revolution.

Shelley Ron believes that the view that we will suddenly usher in sex robots ignores the process of technological development. "I think that sometimes we imagine that technological progress will arise out of nothing, and suddenly appear in front of us," she said. "In fact, technological development is more of a certain kind of increment and slower."

"By the time sex robots appear, we will be very accustomed to using computers to have sex with our sexual partners. By then, it will not be a big problem to convert our partners into human-like robots."