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posted by takyon on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:42PM   Printer-friendly
from the neural-network-penetration dept.

Humans could soon be having sexual relationships with robots, a top academic has claimed.

Dr Helen Driscoll said advances in technology mean the way in which humans interact with robots is set to change drastically in the coming years.

Dr Driscoll, a leading authority on the psychology of sex and relationships, said 'sex tech' was already advancing at a fast pace and by 2070, physical relationships will seem primitive.
...
She said: "Most people successfully integrate other forms of virtual reality into their lives, but virtual sex - not to mention love - will be seen by some as infidelity, and this will present real challenges to some relationships.

"In the world of the future, we could well see human relationships increasingly conducted entirely online.

Would you feel cheated on if your partner had sex with a robot?


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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by dingus on Tuesday August 04 2015, @10:42PM

    by dingus (5224) on Tuesday August 04 2015, @10:42PM (#218189)

    I think that if this prediction comes true at all, it won't be in the literal sense. We(meaning I) won't be having sex with robots unless they can do such good impersonations of humans that they might as well be humans in their own right. Why do I say that? Well, for me at least(and I assume with many others) sex has a very strong emotional side that makes it much more pleasurable than just pointless rutting. I can't speak for others, but unless the virtual sex is with someone that actually exists and who's human, I don't think I'll find it much better than masturbating, which is essentially what it is.

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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Grishnakh on Wednesday August 05 2015, @12:22AM

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Wednesday August 05 2015, @12:22AM (#218248)

    That's basically what it is yes, but it's better than using your hand because it looks and feels like a real person. No, there's no emotion since the femmebot has no feelings or personality. However the thing you're missing is: how many people actually do get to have satisfying sex with a real, live human being who they actually care about? I imagine the percentage is pretty low. Why else do so many people "hook up" and have meaningless sex with strangers they pick up at a bar? I'm sure lots of people would *like* to have a relationship like what you describe, but they simply don't. These are the people who will be sexbot customers. People who have a relationship like what you describe won't be interested, but this is still a huge, huge market.

    • (Score: 1) by dingus on Wednesday August 05 2015, @12:35AM

      by dingus (5224) on Wednesday August 05 2015, @12:35AM (#218253)

      What I'm saying is, I don't think having sexbots is going to change our relationship habits much more than porn does.

      • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Grishnakh on Wednesday August 05 2015, @02:37AM

        by Grishnakh (2831) on Wednesday August 05 2015, @02:37AM (#218308)

        I think I disagree with this. If they can make sexbots that are physically almost indistinguishable from humans, then I can imagine a lot of people simply giving up on sex with humans if they're not able to find a partner they really like. Also, it'll completely ruin the "meat market" market (singles bars). Why bother picking up some 3/10 partner at a bar for a night of meaningless sex when you can stay at home with your 10/10 sexbot? Sure, some people will still use the pickup joints and Craigslist/Tinder/etc. hoping to find something more human, but probably not nearly as much.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2015, @09:22PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2015, @09:22PM (#218785)

      How can you be sure that in 50 years time a "femmebot" won't have any emotion or personality?