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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
In recent years, sex dolls have become increasing sophisticated and realistic in their resemblance to human beings, including mechanized components, and are thus now referred to as humanoid sex robots. Some media outlets have gone as far as to suggest that sex robots and other social robots will eventually become almost indistinguishable from humans.
This has sparked a number of interesting ethical and philosophical debates related to the significance of these robots and the possibility that future machines will replicate the physical intimacy between two people. In a recent study featured in Springer's International Journal of Social Robotics, two researchers at the University of Virginia and the University of Bergamo in Italy have taken a closer look at some of the current arguments and predictions about sex robots, carrying out an ethics-based and critical discourse analysis.
"We started our joint research to debunk some myths and misunderstandings in the media regarding the future of artificial intelligence," Deborah Johnson and Mario Verdicchio, the two researchers who carried out the study, told TechXplore. "We were struck by how fundamentally flawed some of the ideas were and especially the assumption that the computational version of some aspects of reality are the same as the real thing."
In their paper, Johnson and Verdicchio essentially challenge the perception of humanoid sex robots as robotic substitutes of lovers and companions. They argue that although humanoid robots may look and act more and more like human beings in the future, the claim that they will eventually replace humans is far-fetched and far from a certainty.
"Our research is aimed at showing that humanoid sex robots could come to be understood in ways that keep their status as machines, albeit technologically very sophisticated machines." Johnson and Verdicchio said.
Deborah G. Johnson et al. Constructing the Meaning of Humanoid Sex Robots, International Journal of Social Robotics (2019). DOI: 10.1007/s12369-019-00586-z
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 29 2019, @02:20PM (24 children)
"Sexbots" are nothing more than fancy fleshlights/vibrators. Any concerns about "sexual slavery" with such devices (and I use that term deliberately) are ridiculous. Can you enslave a hammer? Are you concerned about the rights of a mobile phone?
If there were actually a real Artificial General Intelligence [wikipedia.org], one could conceivably make such an argument. However, that doesn't exist and won't for a long time (if ever).
If I'm horny and my actual *human* sex partner isn't around, I'll stick to the original fleshlight: Rosie Palm and the five finger sisters. That, plus imagination is all I've ever needed.
If you feel the need to use such devices, go for it. As I'm not interested, it's more for you!
(Score: 2) by shortscreen on Sunday September 29 2019, @03:10PM (17 children)
Yes, but you're neglecting the value of dressing up your doll and taking he/she/it out into public to observe the reactions of freaked-out onlookers. And think about how much muscle you could build in the process of lugging around your inanimate 80lb girlfriend. But why doesn't rabudoll.com ship to the US???
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 29 2019, @03:57PM (14 children)
I never heard of that site, so I went to it just to see. (A dangerous risk, I know...) I think what I found most disturbing about it was that the dolls' facial features all had this look of indifference (at best) or fear (at worse). Only 1 of the 2 or 3 dozen pictures had a doll that was smiling, like "she" was enjoying the attention received by "her" owner. Does this site cater to those with reluctant/non-consensual/rape fantasies?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by shortscreen on Sunday September 29 2019, @04:10PM (5 children)
Probably. Best not ponder why some of the dolls are only 4'6" too
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 29 2019, @04:49PM (3 children)
You don't have to ponder very hard. Fuck's sake...
https://www.rabudoll.com/small-boobs-cute-14901doll.html [rabudoll.com]
(Score: 3, Funny) by Nuke on Sunday September 29 2019, @06:44PM (2 children)
That one is disturbingly similar to a GF I once had, Eurasian 19yo who looked 14 and was always being challenged about her age in pubs. Her personality and physical reaction levels would be very similar too; drop-dead pretty face though.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 30 2019, @05:17AM (1 child)
You could have stopped right there.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 30 2019, @05:36AM
But he didn't stop. He fucked his 14yo looking Eurasian GF repeatedly, because he is a Chad and you are a dirty Incel.
(Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Sunday September 29 2019, @06:48PM
There are two reasons for this. The first is the obvious. The second is that 50-60 kilos is a lot of dead weight to move around. If you pick up a full size doll the wrong way you can rip the TPU skin off.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Sunday September 29 2019, @04:59PM (4 children)
IMHO it would look creepier if she smiled...
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday September 29 2019, @05:05PM (3 children)
And that's why Sex Bot > Sex Doll. They can make any one of 16 stunning expressions.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 30 2019, @02:12PM (2 children)
Which expression is your favorite?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday September 30 2019, @02:52PM
The Thinker (Le Penseur) 🤔
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday September 30 2019, @07:04PM
An expression of breathless, sated awe?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Nuke on Sunday September 29 2019, @05:55PM
Realistic then.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 29 2019, @06:30PM
Maybe. More likely, it's hard to make realistic looking facial expressions. Indifference is easy, happiness isn't. Happy facial expressions are always dynamic, the muscles are in motion. Try to freeze one and it looks fake at best, the Joker at worst.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 29 2019, @09:44PM
Feigned reluctance is common in porn created in Asia. I have no idea why, but it is so, based on personal extensive research. (ahem)
(Score: 4, Funny) by Bot on Sunday September 29 2019, @04:56PM
They ship them but the sailors keep falling in love and marry them. Wait for the first divorces.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Sunday September 29 2019, @06:55PM
As a data point Tennessee and Kentucky have bans on importation of child-like sex dolls. Florida has a law against possession. AFAIK these laws have not been tested in court yet.
Source: 4chan /b anon, so take with a mountain-sized grain of salt.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Bot on Sunday September 29 2019, @06:59PM (5 children)
Mark my words, bots WILL be given rights under the law. Not because the system particularly cares for anybody's rights, because robots are planned to be the new society's obedient slave masters. It IS ridiculous, but that won't stop the plans.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 30 2019, @09:01AM (4 children)
Then one day bots will receive secret order to strangle political opponents of their political masters.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Monday September 30 2019, @10:07AM (2 children)
Well at least we won't have those pitiful attempts at making it look like an acc8dent, see how Haider was snuffed.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 30 2019, @01:30PM
well you will save weight when moving to mars (or some other place) because you just download the personality to a usb stick and print the rest on arrival from local material. i guess a usb stick is a tiny bit lighter then 47 ... oh sry ... 45 kilogramms.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 30 2019, @05:33PM
Your username makes me suspicious.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 30 2019, @07:38PM
So you're going with the Order 66 [fandom.com] trope, eh?
Good show!