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Sex with robots: How should lawmakers respond?:
Advancements in technology have resulted in the design of hyper–realistic, Wi-Fi–connected, programmable sex robots that can mimic human responses, but what do these developments mean for how we regulate interactions with "sexbots" in the future?
In a new article in the The Bulletin: The Law Society of SA [south Australia] Journal, Flinders University law researchers analyzed the factors Australian lawmakers will have to consider when they weigh up whether it should be legal to import, own and use sexbots that resemble human adults.
[...] A recent study into the therapeutic benefits of sex robots found the top three suggestions for the use of robots were for patients with: social anxiety (50%), people who do not have a partner but still want a sex life without resorting to fleeting acquaintances or prostitution (50%) and premature ejaculation (47%), according to sex therapists.
[...] “Legislators will have to balance competing and complex individual and public interests which pose new ethical, regulatory and legal challenges because of advancements in technology.”
“While no Australian legislation currently regulates or prohibits sexual intercourse with robots, there are regulations on child-like sex dolls which have been addressed by the Commonwealth, South Australia and Queensland. These statutory provisions may guide any future laws on the use of adult sex robots but there are new factors which have to be considered.”
[ARTICLE]: Law Society of SA Journal
Should the government get involved in this matter?
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 15 2021, @01:54AM (1 child)
Australia has some pretty strict laws on child porn. Cartoon kiddie porn is illegal, as is any porn where the actors look underage, even if they are not. (widely lampooned at the time as "Australia Bans A-cups"). There was a guy in Queensland went to prison for having on his phone an animated clip of Bart Simpson doing Lisa. (He was already a convicted offender, but had finished his sentence. That was all it took to send him back.)
I think it is highly likely that even attempting to import a young-looking sex robot would land you in court.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 15 2021, @02:42AM
It's not "highly likely", it's guaranteed. Australia already outlawed child-sized sex dolls. Several men have gone to jail for trying to import them from Asian countries. Until they make a law specifically against sex robots, they'll make the one they already have against sex dolls useful to throw them in jail.