Sex robot

{{short description|Hypothetical anthropomorphic robot sex doll}} {{For|other mechanical sex devices|sex machine}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}}  [[File:Galaxy 195409.jpg|thumb|Artist [[Ed Emshwiller]]'s conception of a humanoid robot from the 1954 science fiction magazine ''[[Galaxy (magazine)|Galaxy]]'']] '''Sex robots''', also known as '''sexbots''', are [[anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] [[robot]]ic [[sex doll]]s that display human-like movement or [[Human behavior|behavior]] and incorporate varying degrees of [[artificial intelligence]].<ref name="Gurley2015">{{cite news |last=Gurley |first=George |title=Is this the dawn of the sexbots? (NSFW) |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/04/sexbots-realdoll-sex-toys |date=16 April 2015 |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |access-date=7 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Danaher |first=John |author-link=John Danaher (ethicist) |chapter=Should We Be Thinking about Robot Sex? |date=20 October 2017|chapter-url=http://dx.doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262036689.003.0001 |title=Robot Sex |publisher=The MIT Press |doi=10.7551/mitpress/9780262036689.003.0001 |isbn=978-0-262-03668-9 |access-date=2021-10-04|editor-last=Danaher|editor-first=John|editor-last2=McArthur|editor-first2=Neil}}</ref> {{As of|2026}}, although elaborately instrumented sex dolls have been created by a number of inventors, no fully animated sex robots yet exist. Current prototypes are rudimentary in nature but have demonstrated the capacity to articulate spoken language, display facial expressions, and respond to tactile stimuli.<ref name="Maras-2017">{{cite journal |last1=Maras |first1=Marie-Helen |first2=Lauren R. |last2=Shapiro |title=Child sex dolls and robots: More than just an uncanny valley |journal=Journal of Internet Law |volume=21 |issue=6 |year=2017 |pages=3–21 |id={{ProQuest|1973344803}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=14 February 2020 |first1=Ned |last1=Barker |first2=Kate |last2=Devlin |title=Sex, Robots and Touch |url=https://in-touch-digital.com/2020/02/14/sex-robots-and-touch/ |access-date=2021-10-04 |website=In-Touch: Digital Touch Communication |language=en}}</ref>

The ethical implications of developing such technology remain a subject of considerable controversy and debate.<ref>{{cite book |title=Robot Sex: Social and Ethical Implications |isbn=978-0-262-34198-1 |publisher=The MIT Press |location=Cambridge, MA |oclc=1005978964|editor-last=Danaher|editor-first=John|editor-last2=McArthur|editor-first2=Neil|year=2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Balistreri |first=Maurizio |title=Sex robot: l'amore al tempo delle macchine |year=2018 |isbn=978-88-6044-552-0 |location=Roma |oclc=1081098188 |publisher=Fandango libri}}</ref> In 2015, robot ethicist Kathleen Richardson called for a [[ban (law)|ban]] on the creation of anthropomorphic sex robots, citing concerns regarding the normalizing relationships with machines and the potential reinforcement of female dehumanization.<ref name="bbc-sexrobots">{{cite news |last=Staff writer |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34118482 |title=Intelligent machines: Call for a ban on robots designed as sex toys |date=15 September 2015 |access-date=7 September 2016 |work=[[BBC News]] |archive-date=30 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630212424/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34118482 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Danaher |first1=John |chapter=Chapter 4: Should We Campaign Against Sex Robots? |date=20 October 2017 |title=Robot Sex: Social and Ethical Implications |publisher=The MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-03668-9 |last2=Earp |first2=Brian |last3=Sandberg |first3=Anders |doi=10.7551/mitpress/9780262036689.003.0004 |editor1-first=John|editor1-last=Danaher|editor2-first=Neil|editor2-last=McArthur |pages=47–72}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://campaignagainstsexrobots.org/our-story/ |publisher=Campaign Against Sex Robots |access-date=2021-10-04 |language=en-US}}</ref> The ethical implications, the impacts on intimacy, and the potential regulatory framework surrounding these practices have been subjects of considerable debate.

==Lexicology== People who are sexually attracted to sexbots are sometimes referred to as ''digisexuals''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/19/style/sex-robots.html|title=Do You Take This Robot …|first=Alex|last=Williams|date=19 January 2019|access-date=13 March 2019|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> or ''robosexuals''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/life/.premium.MAGAZINE-a-brief-history-of-sex-dolls-from-leather-dummies-to-sexbots-1.6053633|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503192215/https://www.haaretz.com/life/.premium.MAGAZINE-a-brief-history-of-sex-dolls-from-leather-dummies-to-sexbots-1.6053633|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 May 2018|title=A Brief History of Sex Dolls, From Leather Dummies to Sexbots|first=Noa|last=Manheim|date=3 May 2018|access-date=13 March 2019|newspaper=Haaretz}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/3826210/proud-robosexual-plans-to-marry-robot-when-its-legal/|title='Proud Robosexual' Plans To Marry Robot When It's Legal|website=www.inquisitr.com|date=25 December 2016|access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref>

Sexbots with a [[male body shape|male shape]] design may be referred to as ''malebots''<ref>{{cite news |last=Mlot |first=Stephanie |title=Everything you always wanted to know about sex robots |url=https://www.geek.com/tech/everything-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-sex-robots-1706373/ |work=[[Geek.com]] |date=7 July 2017 |access-date=25 July 2017 |archive-date=26 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226020536/https://www.geek.com/tech/everything-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-sex-robots-1706373/ }}</ref> or ''manbots''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Matyszczyk |first=Chris |title=Ashley Madison used fembots? Why this is the future |work=[[Inc. (magazine)|Inc.]] |url=https://www.inc.com/chris-matyszczyk/ashley-madison-used-fembots-why-this-is-the-future.html |date=5 July 2016|access-date=25 July 2017}}</ref> Gender neutral terms for sex robots include pleasure bot<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.complex.com/life/2017/09/hackers-could-use-sex-robots-to-commit-murder|title=There's a Very Real Possibility Sex Robots May Try to Kill You in the Future|website=Complex|access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref> or sex droid.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sex-robot-makers-blasted-over-sick-family-friendly-dolls/news-story/7ab7153711231e05f63a0532b1e26bf5|title=Sex robot makers blasted over sick 'family friendly' dolls|date=17 July 2018|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=Australia|first=Saqib|last=Shah|access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref> Sexbots with a [[female body shape|female shape]] design have been referred to as ''chick-bots''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/03/sex-robots-technology-women-artificial-intelligence|title=Female sex robots, feel free to replace us if you want to – Barbara Ellen|first=Barbara|last=Ellen|newspaper=The Observer |date=3 December 2017|access-date=13 March 2019|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> or ''fembots''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/sex/kate-iselin-asks-will-sex-robots-save-the-world/news-story/49ebeddda72d97a6e8bf49c894244abe|title=Kate Iselin asks: Will sex robots save the world?|website=www.news.com.au|date=11 November 2018|access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref>

== History and development == The sex robot has evolved from [[sex doll]] precursors that first appeared as consumer goods sold in France, beginning in the 1850s through rubber goods magazines as "rubber women" ({{lang|fr|femmes en caoutchouc}}).<ref name="at sea">{{Cite book |last=Ruberg |first=Bo |title=Sex dolls at sea: imagined histories of sexual technologies |publisher=The MIT Press |year=2022 |isbn=978-0-262-54367-5 |series=Media origins |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |language=English}}</ref>{{rp|115–116}} These early sex dolls emerged from European and American industry during the [[Amazon rubber cycle|1800s Brazilian rubber boom]], alongside the invention of vulcanized rubber.<ref name="at sea"/>{{rp|117–118}} The first documented appearance of these rubber sex dolls is in an article from French newspaper {{lang|fr|[[Le Figaro]]}} reporting from an exhibition of American rubber products at the 1855 world's fair.<ref name="at sea"/>{{rp|132��133}} Much of the inspiration for creating the modern sex doll came from [[mannequin]]-based art created by [[Hans Bellmer]], [[Man Ray]] and [[Salvador Dalí]]. Man Ray claimed that [[surrealist]]s, including himself and Dalí, infused their work with [[eroticism]] and personally "violated" their mannequins. For example, Dalí's ''[[Rainy Taxi]]'' centered on a female mannequin whose half-undressed body was crawling with live snails.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Beck|first=Julie|title=A (Straight, Male) History of Sex Dolls|magazine=The Atlantic|date=6 August 2014|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/a-straight-male-history-of-dolls/375623/|access-date=21 July 2018|archive-date=19 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219085100/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/a-straight-male-history-of-dolls/375623/|url-status=live}}</ref>

By 1968, inflatable dolls were first advertised in [[pornographic magazine]]s and became available for [[mail order|purchase via mail]]. These sex dolls were inflatable with air; consisting of penetration areas at the mouth, vagina, and anus. However, due to their inflatable nature, these dolls were subject to deterioration and were not sustainable for constant use. By the 1970s, materials such as [[latex]] and [[silicone]] were widely used in the manufacturing of sex dolls to facilitate enhanced durability and a greater resemblance to a human.<ref>Ferguson, Anthony. ''The Sex Doll: A History''. McFarland, 2010. p 31. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-4794-7}})</ref>

The realism of sex dolls greatly accelerated in the late 1990s. In 1997, Matt McMullen began constructing lifelike, [[tin]]-[[curing (chemistry)|cured]] [[silicone rubber]] mannequins called [[RealDoll]]s that were "realistic, posable, and life-sized". McMullen received much criticism about the anatomical correctness of his mannequins, using this as motivation to create a more enhanced version. In 2009, McMullen switched to using [[silicone rubber#Platinum-based cure system|platinum-cured]] material, instead of tin-cured silicone, to further enhance the durability and lifelike nature of the doll. Consequently, all other sex doll manufacturers have followed suit.

Many manufacturers, including Matt McMullen, believed that [[companionship]] is a critical part of the sexbot dynamic and that incorporating [[artificial intelligence]] (AI) into them is the next step.<ref>{{cite web|last=Leclercq|first=Cy|title=AI Sex Dolls Are Just around the Corner|website=The Next Web|date=25 November 2017|url=https://thenextweb.com/news/ai-sex-dolls-just-around-corner}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=Matt McMullen Interview for The Sex Robots Are Coming|publisher=4 Press|website=Channel Four Television Corporation|date=14 November 2017|url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news/matt-mcmullen-interview-sex-robots-are-coming}}</ref> As of 2018, various new models have been constructed to hold conversations, remember important facts, and express various emotions. One such model is "Harmony", created by McMullen, which is customizable by using a [[mobile app]], where users can choose from "thousands of possible combinations of looks, clothes, personalities and voices to make your perfect companion".<ref>{{cite web|title=Your Perfect Companion in the Palm of Your Hands|website=Realbotix|url=http://realbotix.com/Harmony|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019111205/https://realbotix.com/Harmony|archive-date=19 October 2018}}</ref>

== State of research == Sex robots are still in a relatively early stage of development. While sex dolls have been available on the market for more than 20 years and there are accordingly established doll owner communities available for research, experienced users of sex robots are hardly to be found so far.<ref name="Döring-2018">{{cite journal |last1=Döring|first1=Nicola|last2=Pöschl|first2=Sandra|date=2018|title=Sex toys, sex dolls, sex robots: Our under-researched bed-fellows|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S115813601830080X|journal=[[Sexologies]]|volume=27|issue=3|pages=e51–e55|doi=10.1016/j.sexol.2018.05.009|s2cid=150027875|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Nevertheless, the topic of sex robots has been treated quite intensively in international research since 2007, triggered by [[David Levy (chess player)|David Levy]]'s monograph [[Love and Sex with Robots|''Love and Sex With Robots'']]. A systematic research review from the year 2020 was able to identify 98 international academic publications on sex robots.<ref name="Döring-2020">{{cite journal |last1=Döring|first1=Nicola|last2=Mohseni|first2=Rohangis|last3=Walter|first3=Roberto|date=2020|title=Design, Use, and Effects of Sex Dolls and Sex Robots: Scoping Review|journal=[[Journal of Medical Internet Research]]|volume=22|issue=7|article-number=e18551|doi=10.2196/18551|pmc=7426804|pmid=32729841 |doi-access=free }}</ref> These academic sex robot publications focus on the following six research questions:

# What are the appropriate theoretical conceptualizations of sex robots? # What are the main ethical aspects of sex robots? # What empirical findings on the use and effects of sex robots are available? # How are sex robots represented in art and media? # How should child sex robots be regulated legally? # What are the appropriate designs and design processes for sex robots?

The majority of the available academic sex robot publications deals with ethical aspects,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Danaher |first1=John |url={{Google Books URL |ErQ5DwAAQBAJ |p=}} |title=Robot Sex: Social and Ethical Implications |last2=McArthur |first2=Neil |publisher=MIT Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-262-03668-9 |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |oclc=978286431}}</ref> focusing on both currently available sex robots (that have only very limited artificial intelligence and interactivity) and future sex robots (that are envisioned as being sentient and having a free will). While at least some findings on experienced users are available on [[sex doll]]s, corresponding empirical data on sex robot users are missing.<ref name="Döring-2018" /><ref name="Döring-2020" /> The academic sex robot discourse is – similar to the public discourse – so far characterized by relatively striking ideas about strong positive<ref>{{cite book |last=Levy |first=David |url={{Google Books URL |PJ4sAAAAYAAJ |p=}} |title=Love and Sex with Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships |publisher=Harper |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-06-135975-0 |location=New York, USA}}</ref> or strong negative<ref name="Richardson-2015" /> effects of sex robots. Weak as well as ambivalent effects, which are theoretically and empirically most probable, are rarely discussed.<ref name="Döring-2020" />

Likewise, sex robots are often regarded and criticized as predetermined products. Rarely is it considered in the state of research so far that the appearance as well as the functions and target groups of sex robots can be actively designed, for example by and for women, queer people, older people or people with disabilities.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fosch-Villaronga |first1=Eduard |last2=Poulsen |first2=Adam |date=2020 |title=Sex care robots: Exploring the potential use of sexual robot technologies for disabled and elder care |journal=Paladyn. Journal of Behavioral Robotics |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=1–18 |doi=10.1515/pjbr-2020-0001 |doi-access=free |s2cid=211021899|hdl=1887/133553 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Devlin-2018">{{cite book |last=Devlin |first=Kate |url={{Google Books URL|cYxaDwAAQBAJ|p=}} |title=Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots |publisher=Bloomsbury Sigma |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-4729-5089-5 |location=London |oclc=1055274087}}</ref> Those [[human-centered design]] processes can be the subject of academic sex robot research as well.<ref name="Devlin-2018" />

The sex robot research community meets at the "International Love and Sex With Robots Conference"<ref>{{cite web |title=International Love and Sex With Robots Conference website |url=https://www.lovewithrobots.com/}}</ref> series initiated by [[David Levy (chess player)|David Levy]] held for the sixth time in 2021 as the "6th International Congress on Love & Sex with Robots".

== Predictions == In 2014, [[David Levy (chess player)|David Levy]] said in an interview with ''[[Newsweek]]'' that "I believe that loving sex robots will be a great boon to society ... There are millions of people out there who, for one reason or another, cannot establish good relationships." He estimates that this will take place by the mid-21st century.<ref name="James2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/2014/10/31/sex-robots-278791.html |title=I believe that it will become perfectly normal for people to have sex with robots |last=James |first=Jacob |date=23 October 2014 |work=[[Newsweek]] |access-date=7 September 2016 |location=US edition}}</ref>

In 2017, [[MIT Press]] published the first book on this topic, ''Robot Sex'', with a preliminary approach to the several challenges this field represents for human beings and societies.

== Attempts at realization == There are ongoing attempts to make sex dolls [[social relation|socially interactive]]. In 2010, a sex doll called [[Roxxxy]], that had the capacity to play back pre-recorded speech cues, was demonstrated at a [[trade show]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/uk/news/sex-robot-roxxxy-looking-for-action/|title=Sex robot Roxxxy looking for action|last=Hornyak|first=Tim|date=11 January 2010|work=[[CNET]]|access-date=7 September 2016}}</ref> In 2015, Matt McMullen, the creator of the [[RealDoll]] stated that he intended to create intelligent sex dolls with the capacity to hold conversations.<ref>{{cite news|last=Staff writer|title=Sex dolls that talk back|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/12/technology/robotica-sex-robot-realdoll.html|date=11 June 2015|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=7 September 2016|archive-date=14 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314082807/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/12/technology/robotica-sex-robot-realdoll.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Barcelona]]-based Dr. Sergi Santos developed a sex robot named Samantha; the robot can switch between a "sex mode" (which can include Samantha simulating a [[female orgasm]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ai-sex-doll-human-touch-sergi-santos_us_58cc0db7e4b00705db4f1d3a|title=Engineer creates sex robot that needs to be romanced first|last=Moye|first=David|date=17 March 2017|work=[[HuffPost]]|access-date=25 September 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>) and a "family mode",<ref>{{cite news|last=Dormehl|first=Luke|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/samantha-sex-robot-emotion/|title=Meet Samantha: a smart sex robot that you need to seduce before you get busy|date=20 March 2017|work=[[Digital Trends]]|access-date=25 September 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=5 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205040104/https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/samantha-sex-robot-emotion/|url-status=live}}</ref> in which it can also tell [[joke]]s and discuss philosophy.<ref>{{cite news |last=Beech|first=Stephen|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sex-robot-called-samantha-who-11228353|title=Sex robot called Samantha goes on sale in UK and she's yours for £3,500|date=24 September 2017|work=[[Daily Mirror]]|access-date=25 September 2017}}</ref>

In 2017, Matt McMullen created a sex doll called "Harmony", which has the capability of learning about the personal preferences, wants and desires of the owner. Furthermore, Harmony can smile, blink and frown in a nearly human-like fashion. She can hold a conversation, tell jokes, remember food preferences, and the names of the owner's siblings. The cost of Harmony is said to be roughly $15,000.<ref name="Maras-2017"/> During an onstage interview with [[Engadget]] in 2018, Matt McMullen demonstrated that the skin on Harmony's face could be peeled off and replaced with different skin. He subsequently added a different colored wig and changed her personality by using the app on his [[handheld device]] that controls the robot. He named this sex doll "Solana" and considers it to be the "sister" of Harmony.<ref>Trout, Christopher. [https://www.engadget.com/2018-01-10-there-s-a-new-sex-robot-in-town-say-hello-to-solana.html "There's a New Sex Robot in Town: Say Hello to Solana."] Engadget, [[Oath Tech Network]], 10 January 2018.</ref>

In 2018, Realbotix, the company behind the RealDoll, announced the creation of the first-ever male sex bot, Henry. Henry will have a customizable bionic penis which will be able to "go as long as you want" as it plugs into electricity instead of using batteries. Buyers will also be able to order a customizable robotic head that can be controlled by an app on the user's phone.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Drug|first=Fight the New|title=Meet Henry, the World's First Generation of Male Sex Robot|url=https://fightthenewdrug.org/meet-henry-the-worlds-first-generation-of-male-sex-robots/|access-date=2021-10-04|website=Fight the New Drug|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Potential benefits == Scholars such as Hojjat Abdollahi argue that these robots can act as "[[Companion robot|robot companions]]" that aid elderly people with [[dementia]] or depression. After conducting a study on many elderly patients, it was found that elderly individuals were interested in having an intimate robot as their companion and their interest did not decay over time. He further explains that these patients established meaningful rapport with the robot companion and that they greatly valued its presence.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Abdollahi|first1=Hojjat|last2=Mollahosseini|first2=Ali|last3=Lane|first3=Josh T.|last4=Mahoor|first4=Mohammad H.|title=2017 IEEE-RAS 17th International Conference on Humanoid Robotics (Humanoids) |chapter=A pilot study on using an intelligent life-like robot as a companion for elderly individuals with dementia and depression |date=November 2017|pages=541–546|arxiv=1712.02881|bibcode=2017arXiv171202881A|doi=10.1109/humanoids.2017.8246925|isbn=978-1-5386-4678-6|s2cid=1962455}}</ref> Bioethicist [[Nancy S. Jecker]] also suggests that older people with disabilities lose their sexual functioning because of physical changes, due to aging and disease, but also because of social stigma and scorn. Jecker argues that these robots are a way to "support dignity" and continue the ability to be sexual by dispelling ageism and negative stereotypes about later-life sexuality.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jecker|first=Nancy S.|date=1 January 2021|title=Nothing to be ashamed of: sex robots for older adults with disabilities|url=https://jme.bmj.com/content/47/1/26|journal=Journal of Medical Ethics|language=en|volume=47|issue=1|pages=26–32|doi=10.1136/medethics-2020-106645|issn=0306-6800|pmid=33199655|s2cid=226968093|doi-access=free}}</ref> The robot companion "Paro", created by Takanori Shibata, has been used since 2009 as a therapeutic machine for the elderly suffering with dementia as well as those suffering from depression and [[anxiety]]. Paro is designed to respond to touch, remember faces and learn certain actions that promote a favorable reaction in the patient. Although Paro was not designed to be a sex robot specifically, Paro is an example of how intelligent machines could become a suitable therapeutic option.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Korn|first1=Oliver|last2=Bieber|first2=Gerald|last3=Fron|first3=Christian|last4=Michels|first4=Dominik L.|date=15 December 2017|title=Social Robots. A Workshop on the Past, the Present and the Future of Digital Companions|url=https://aci.hs-offenburg.de/social-robots-a-workshop/|website=Affective & Cognitive Institute}}</ref><ref>Korn, Oliver, et al. Social Robots. A Workshop on the Past, the Present and the Future of Digital Companions. Offenburg University of Applied Sciences, 2017, affective-lab.org/social-robots-a-workshop/</ref>

Some manufacturers have also argued that their introductions into prisons may reduce prison rape and sexual tension in prison. Prison inmates suffer from both separation from their partners and the limited possibility of gaining such a partner in prison, and they often turn to sexual harassment and the threat of rape as a result.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Barth|first=Thomas|date=May 2012|title=Relationships and sexuality of imprisoned men in the German penal system—a survey of inmates in a Berlin prison|journal=International Journal of Law and Psychiatry|volume=35|issue=3|pages=153–158|doi=10.1016/j.ijlp.2012.02.001|pmid=22425293|issn=0160-2527}}</ref> Scholars like Oliver Bendel suggest that sex robots could be the solution to establishing sexual health and diminishing sexual tensions beyond in prison.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bendel|first=Oliver|date=1 January 2021|title=Love dolls and sex robots in unproven and unexplored fields of application|journal=Paladyn. Journal of Behavioral Robotics|language=en|volume=12|issue=1|pages=1–12|doi=10.1515/pjbr-2021-0004|s2cid=225066937|issn=2081-4836|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Manufacturers have also suggested sex robots may alleviate sexlessness in encumbered professions such as long-haul truck drivers or all-male oil rigs.<ref>{{cite web|last=Adams|first=James|date=17 June 2019|title=The sexbot apocalypse|url=https://spectator.us/sexbot-apocalypse/|access-date=2019-07-18|website=Spectator USA|language=en-US|archive-date=3 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703135752/https://spectator.us/sexbot-apocalypse/}}</ref> Sex robots can also help avoid problems of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexual violence, which would be issues in brothels and with prostitutes.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Döring|first1=N.|last2=Pöschl|first2=S.|date=1 July 2018|title=Sex toys, sex dolls, sex robots: Our under-researched bed-fellows|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S115813601830080X|journal=Sexologies|language=en|volume=27|issue=3|pages=e51–e55|doi=10.1016/j.sexol.2018.05.009|s2cid=150027875|issn=1158-1360|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

As the state of the art progresses ([[robotics]] and [[Artificial intelligence|AI]]), thus providing a viable substitute for humans, some predict there could be a positive [[externality]] in the reduction of [[Human trafficking|human trafficking]] and [[prostitution]]. This would be an example of [[technological unemployment]] that is seen as a benefit to the exploited being used by those activities.<ref> https://www.reuters.com/article/world/sex-robots-perverted-or-practical-in-fight-against-sex-trafficking-idUSKBN1A50HC/ </ref><ref> https://www.nature.com/articles/s41443-023-00766-6 </ref>

== Opposition == In September 2015, Kathleen Richardson of [[De Montfort University|De{{spaces}}Montfort University]] and Erik Billing of the [[University of Skövde]] created the ''{{vanchor|Campaign Against Sex Robots}}'', calling for a [[ban (law)|ban]] on the creation of anthropomorphic sex robots.<ref name="bbc-sexrobots"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Ellyatt |first=Holly |title=Campaign launched against 'harmful' sex robots |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/15/sex-robots-campaign.html |date=5 September 2015 |work=[[CNBC]] |access-date=7 September 2016 |archive-date=13 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913212328/https://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/15/sex-robots-campaign.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-09/15/campaign-against-sex-robots |title=Campaign Against Sex Robots calls for ban on human-robot sex |last=Temperton |first=James |date=15 September 2015 |magazine=[[Wired UK]] |access-date=7 September 2016 |archive-date=21 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521172409/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-09/15/campaign-against-sex-robots |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Moyer |first=Justin Wm. |title=Having sex with robots is really, really bad, Campaign Against Sex Robots says |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/09/15/having-sex-with-robots-is-really-really-bad-campaign-against-sex-robots-says/ |date=15 September 2015 |access-date=7 September 2016 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |archive-date=8 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160908172134/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/09/15/having-sex-with-robots-is-really-really-bad-campaign-against-sex-robots-says/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Richardson is critical of David Levy and argues that the introduction of such devices would be socially harmful and demeaning to women and children.<ref name="bbc-sexrobots" /><ref name="Richardson-2015">{{cite journal |last=Richardson |first=Kathleen |s2cid=17328664 |title=The asymmetrical 'relationship': parallels between prostitution and the development of sex robots |journal=ACM SIGCAS Computers and Society |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=290–293 |publisher=[[Association for Computing Machinery]] |doi=10.1145/2874239.2874281 |date=September 2015 |url=https://campaignagainstsexrobots.org/the-asymmetrical-relationship-parallels-between-prostitution-and-the-development-of-sex-robots/ |access-date=29 October 2017 |archive-date=18 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018012502/https://campaignagainstsexrobots.org/the-asymmetrical-relationship-parallels-between-prostitution-and-the-development-of-sex-robots/ |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In September 2015, the Japanese company [[Softbank]], the makers of the "[[Pepper (robot)|Pepper]]" robot, included a ban on robot sex. The robot's user agreement states: "The policy owner must not perform any sexual act or other indecent behaviour".<ref>{{cite news|last=McCurry|first=Justin|date=28 September 2015|title=No sex, please, they're robots, says Japanese android firm|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/28/no-sex-with-robots-says-japanese-android-firm-softbank|access-date=7 September 2016|archive-date=14 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914172836/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/28/no-sex-with-robots-says-japanese-android-firm-softbank|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=O'Connor|first=Brendan|date=26 September 2015|title=Japanese robot owners reminded not to fuck their robots|work=[[Gawker]]|publisher=Gawker Media|url=http://gawker.com/japanese-robot-owners-reminded-not-to-fuck-their-robots-1733174678|access-date=7 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907063958/http://gawker.com/japanese-robot-owners-reminded-not-to-fuck-their-robots-1733174678|archive-date=7 September 2016}}</ref>

[[Noel Sharkey]], Aimee van Wynsberghe, and Eleanor Hancock of the [[Foundation for Responsible Robotics]] released a consultation report presenting a summary of the issues and various opinions about what could be society's intimate association with robots.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sharkey |first1=Noel |last2=van Wynsberghe |first2=Aimee |last3=Robbins |first3=Scott |last4=Hancock |first4=Eleanor |author-link1=Noel Sharkey |title=Our sexual future with robots |url=https://responsiblerobotics.org/2017/07/05/frr-report-our-sexual-future-with-robots/ |publisher=[[Foundation for Responsible Robotics]] |location=The Hague, Netherlands |year=2017 |access-date=28 October 2017 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224154105/https://responsiblerobotics.org/2017/07/05/frr-report-our-sexual-future-with-robots/ }} [http://responsiblerobotics.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/FRR-Consultation-Report-Our-Sexual-Future-with-robots_Final.pdf Pdf.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708003203/http://responsiblerobotics.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/FRR-Consultation-Report-Our-Sexual-Future-with-robots_Final.pdf |date=8 July 2017 }}</ref> The report includes an examination of how such robots could be employed as a [[rehabilitation (penology)|rehabilitative]] tool for sex criminals such as [[serial rapist]]s or [[pedophile]]s. Sharkey warns that this could be "problematic" in terms of sex dolls resembling children and adolescents.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wakefield |first=Jane |title=Call for a ban on child sex robots |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40428976 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=5 July 2017 |access-date=28 October 2017}}</ref>

There is considerable speculation about such technology coming from experts in the fields of philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. [[John P. Sullins]] of [[Sonoma State University]] believes that sex robots will facilitate "[[social isolation]]"<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sullins |first1=John P. |s2cid=253828 |title=Robots, Love, and Sex: The Ethics of Building a Love Machine |journal=IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing |date=January 2012 |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=398–409 |doi=10.1109/T-AFFC.2012.31}}</ref> and Lydia Kaye of [[Central Saint Martins]] argue that sexual relations with robots will "desensitize humans to intimacy and empathy".<ref>{{cite web |first1=Lydia |last1=Kaye |date=10 February 2016 |title=Challenging Sex Robots and the Brutal Dehumanisation of Women |url=https://campaignagainstsexrobots.org/2016/02/10/challenging-sex-robots-and-the-brutal-dehumanisation-of-women/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204084317/https://campaignagainstsexrobots.org/2016/02/10/challenging-sex-robots-and-the-brutal-dehumanisation-of-women/ |archive-date=4 December 2016 |work=Campaign Against Sex Robots}}</ref> Furthermore, according to [[Chauntelle Tibbals]], "nothing can replace the joy, sorrow, passion, and pain of an actual, unpredictable human interaction."<ref>{{cite web|last=Tibbals|first=Chauntelle|title=Sex Robots Misquoting & Reason #74,193 I Only Do Written Interviews {{!}} Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals|url=http://www.chauntelletibbals.com/sex-robots-misquoting/|access-date=2020-09-15|language=en-US|archive-date=18 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918082429/http://www.chauntelletibbals.com/sex-robots-misquoting/|url-status=live}}</ref> She further argues that only when interacting with another human can we experience our humanity and our identity, as opposed to interacting with a robot.<ref>Spitznagel, Eric. "The Sex Robots Are Coming." Men's Health, June 2016, p. 144.</ref> Robot ethicist [[Alan Winfield]] makes the more general argument that robots should not be gendered.<ref>{{cite web |last=Winfield|first=Alan|date=20 April 2016|title=Should robots be gendered? |url=https://robohub.org/robots-should-not-be-gendered/|website=Robohub|access-date=2023-07-08}}</ref>

The sex robots that have been created, as of 2018, primarily resemble women with exaggeratedly hyperfeminine features. In Barcelona, a sex doll brothel allows men to act out their fantasies where they can choose from a selection of flexible silicone dolls and request that they be dressed in whatever outfit the man prefers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kale |first1=Sirin |title=Spain Opens First Sex Doll Brothel for Men Who Like Shagging Silicone |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/spain-opens-first-sex-doll-brothel-for-men-who-like-shagging-silicone/ |website=Vice |date=28 February 2017 |access-date=1 August 2019}}</ref> Kathleen Richardson argues that these sex robots facilitate a powerful attitude towards women's bodies [[objectification|as commodities]], and promote a non-empathetic interaction.<ref name="Richardson-2016">{{cite journal |last1=Richardson |first1=Kathleen |s2cid=32282830 |title=Sex Robot Matters: Slavery, the Prostituted, and the Rights of Machines |journal=IEEE Technology and Society Magazine |date=June 2016 |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=46–53 |doi=10.1109/MTS.2016.2554421 |hdl=2086/12126 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> Experts argue that improving the [[gender diversity]] of those involved in developing this sex technology could help reduce possible harm, such as the [[objectification of women]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Let's talk about sex robots |journal=Nature |date=July 2017 |volume=547 |issue=7662 |page=138 |doi=10.1038/547138a |pmid=28703204 |bibcode=2017Natur.547..138. |s2cid=4465574|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Many scholars, including Richardson, argue that this reinforces the idea that women are property rather than human beings with [[free will]].<ref name="Richardson-2016" /> Scholars such as Robert Sparrow from [[Monash University]] argue that the creation of realistic female sex robots, with the ability to refuse [[consent]], further facilitates a [[rape culture]]. He believes that sex with these robots represents the "rape of a woman" and may increase the rate of rape in society, while also facilitating a general "disrespect for women" in society.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sparrow |first1=Robert |s2cid=28713176 |title=Robots, Rape, and Representation |journal=International Journal of Social Robotics |date=September 2017 |volume=9 |issue=4 |pages=465–477 |doi=10.1007/s12369-017-0413-z|url=https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/4f0bc6a9-de52-4292-a13e-48967f7ceee5 }}</ref> Furthermore, a sex robot called "Frigid Farah", whose personality is described as "reserved and shy", has caught the attention of several scholars. The manufacturer claimed that if you touch her "in a private area, more than likely, she will not be too appreciative of your advance".<ref>{{cite web |date=21 July 2017|title=New sex robots have 'frigid' setting which allows men to simulate rape|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/sex-robots-frigid-settings-rape-simulation-men-sexual-assault-a7847296.html|access-date=2020-09-15|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> Many scholars view this as indulging [[rape fantasies]] and facilitating a rape culture.<ref>{{cite web |author=Sian Norris|date=21 July 2017|title=A rape-able sex robot makes the world more dangerous for women, not less|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2017/07/rape-able-sex-robot-makes-world-more-dangerous-women-not-less|access-date=2023-07-08}}</ref>

==Legislation== The Curbing Realistic Exploitative Electronic Pedophilic Robots (CREEPER) Act, sponsored by [[Daniel M. Donovan, Jr.]], was passed by the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] on 13 June 2018. The bill would amend the federal obscenity statute, {{UnitedStatesCode|18|1462}} to criminalize importation and transportation for interstate commerce any "anatomically-correct doll, mannequin, or robot, with the features of, or with features that resemble those of, a minor, intended for use in sexual acts."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4655/text|title=H.R. 4655: CREEPER Act of 2017|publisher=govtrack}}</ref> [[Bob Goodlatte]] stated that "these dolls create a real risk of reinforcing pedophilic behavior and they desensitize the user causing him to engage in sicker and sicker behavior".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gstalter |first=Morgan |date=14 June 2018 |title=House approves ban on sex dolls that resemble children |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/392357-house-approves-ban-on-sex-dolls-that-resemble-children |access-date=27 September 2021 }}</ref> Australia and the United Kingdom already have such bans.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://donovan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/donovan-introduces-creeper-act-ban-child-sex-dolls |title=Donovan Introduces "CREEPER Act" to Ban Child Sex Dolls |date=14 December 2017 |access-date=19 June 2018 |archive-date=20 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620024255/https://donovan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/donovan-introduces-creeper-act-ban-child-sex-dolls}}</ref> Critics of the bill argue that it is unconstitutional or unnecessary.<ref>{{cite web |last=Goldman |first=Eric |date=28 June 2018 |title=The "CREEPER Act" Would Be Yet Another Unconstitutional Law from Congress (Guest Blog Post) |url=https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2018/06/the-creeper-act-would-be-yet-another-unconstitutional-law-from-congress-guest-blog-post.htm |access-date=2020-09-14 |website=Technology & Marketing Law Blog |language=en-US }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=admin |title=CREEPER Act would turn law-abiding Americans into sex offenders |url=https://narsol.org/2018/01/creeper-act-would-turn-law-abiding-americans-into-sex-offenders/ |access-date=2020-09-14|website=narsol.org |date=29 January 2018 |language=en-US }}</ref> The bill is said to have died in the senate in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gstalter|first=Morgan|date=14 June 2018 |title=House approves ban on sex dolls that resemble children |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/392357-house-approves-ban-on-sex-dolls-that-resemble-children|access-date=2020-09-14 |website=TheHill |language=en }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=7 October 2019 |title=Law that would ban child sex dolls sitting in senate committee for 16 months |url=https://www.kron4.com/news/law-that-would-ban-child-sex-dolls-sitting-in-senate-committee-for-16-months/ |access-date=2020-09-14 |website=KRON4 |language=en-US |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806215939/https://www.kron4.com/news/law-that-would-ban-child-sex-dolls-sitting-in-senate-committee-for-16-months/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Vern Buchanan]] is said to reintroduce an amended version of the bill in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=CREEPER Act to be re-introduced after Florida girl's likeness used for child sex doll |url=https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/regional/creeper-act-child-sex-dolls-congress/67-3c459ede-00e6-4cd6-9965-553883a096a4|access-date=2020-09-14 |website=WMAZ |date=3 September 2020 |language=en-US }}</ref>

==Philosophical discussion== The ''First International Congress on Love and Sex with Robots'' was held in [[Funchal, Madeira]] in November 2014.<ref name=LevyCheok2014>{{cite conference |last1=Levy |first1=David |last2=Cheok |first2=Adrian David |title=Session details: The First International Congress on Love and Sex with Robots |conference=Proceedings of the 2014 Workshops on Advances in Computer Entertainment Conference |date=November 2014 |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3260885 |doi=10.1145/3260885 |isbn=978-1-4503-3314-6|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The conference was coordinated by Professor [[Adrian David Cheok]] and Dr. David Levy. The main discussion revolved around the debate of where to draw the line with regard to cybernetic love and relationships and what the future of love and sex with robots has in store. Additional topics of discussion during the conference included [[humanoid robot]]s, robot emotions, [[roboethics]], and philosophical approaches.<ref name=LevyCheok2014/> In October 2015 a second conference scheduled for November 2015 in [[Malaysia]] was declared illegal by the [[Inspector-general of police#Malaysia|Malaysian Inspector-General of Police]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Tan|first=Tarrence|title=IGP declares 'Sex with Robots' conference illegal|url=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/10/13/igp-declares-sex-with-robots-conference-illegal/|work=[[Free Malaysia Today]]|date=13 October 2015|access-date=7 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913183656/http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/10/13/igp-declares-sex-with-robots-conference-illegal/|archive-date=2017-09-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Reese|first=Hope|title=Academic conference on 'Love and Sex with Robots' abruptly cancelled after being declared illegal|url=http://www.techrepublic.com/article/academic-conference-on-love-and-sex-with-robots-abruptly-cancelled-after-being-declared-illegal/|work=[[TechRepublic]]|date=21 October 2015|access-date=7 September 2017|archive-date=13 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913183533/http://www.techrepublic.com/article/academic-conference-on-love-and-sex-with-robots-abruptly-cancelled-after-being-declared-illegal/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Hale-Stern|first=Kaila|title=The annual Love and Sex With Robots Conference has been canceled|url=https://gizmodo.com/the-annual-love-and-sex-with-robots-conference-has-been-1738032832|work=[[Gizmodo]]|publisher=Gawker Media|date=22 October 2015|access-date=7 September 2017|archive-date=13 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913183637/https://gizmodo.com/the-annual-love-and-sex-with-robots-conference-has-been-1738032832|url-status=live}}</ref> The second conference was eventually held in the United Kingdom in December 2016, chaired by [[Kate Devlin|Dr. Kate Devlin]] at [[Goldsmiths, University of London]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wosk |first1=Julie |title=Love and Sex With Robots Conference Sparks Controversy |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/love-and-sex-with-robots-_b_13739374 |website=HuffPost |date=20 December 2017 |access-date=28 April 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525171922/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-wosk/love-and-sex-with-robots-_b_13739374.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://loveandsexwithrobots.org/ |title=Third International Congress on Love and Sex with Robots: London, 19–20 Dec 2017 |website=loveandsexwithrobots.org |publisher=Love and Sex with Robots Committee |access-date=7 September 2017 |archive-date=7 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907184233/http://loveandsexwithrobots.org/ }}</ref> Devlin also founded the UK's first ever [[sex tech]] [[hackathon]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Sex Tech Hack II |url=http://goldsmiths.tech/sex|website=Hacksmiths|publisher=Goldsmiths Tech Society|access-date=18 May 2017}}</ref> also held in 2016 at Goldsmiths.

In 2016, a discussion of these issues was held at the 12th [[International Federation for Information Processing|IFIP]] TC9 Human Choice & Computers Conference, entitled "Technology and Intimacy: Choice or Coercion?".<ref>{{cite web |last=Kreps |first=David |url=http://ifiptc9.org/hcc12/ |website=ifiptc9.org|title=HCC12 Conference Website |publisher=IFIP TC9 |access-date=3 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dean |first=Jon |title=First ever conference in to sex robots to ask the big questions |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/worlds-first-ever-conference-sex-8771592 |work=[[Daily Mirror]] |date=5 September 2016 |access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cheshire |first=Tom |url=https://news.sky.com/story/can-sex-robots-replace-relationships-with-human-beings-10568346 |title=Can 'Sex Robots' replace human relationships? |date=7 September 2016 |work=[[Sky News]]|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref> The conference was coordinated by Dr. David Kreps from [[Salford University]]. The overall aim of the conference was to "scrutinize the journey from impersonal monolithic technology towards the intimate intertwining of devices and the self". A prospective outlook on how these technologies will evolve was closely examined. Some of the main themes discussed during the conference were intimacy, personalization, material culture and sexual relationships with robots.<ref>"Technology and Intimacy: Choice or Coercion?" HCC12, Ifip, 2016, hcc12.net/cfp/index.html now at ifiptc9.org/hcc12/cfp/.</ref> In September 2018, the 13th [[International Federation for Information Processing|IFIP]] TC9 Human Choice & Computers Conference "This Changes Everything"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ifiptc9.org/hcc13/ |title=HCC13 Conference website |publisher=David Kreps}}</ref> was held in [[Poznań]], Poland. The conference was led and directed by David Kreps, Kai Kimppa, Louise Leenen, and Charles Ess. The discussion was focused on the societal and ethical implications posed by artificial intelligence, privacy concerns, and how such technologies have significantly shifted computational strategies and altered the world people live in.<ref>{{cite web|website=13th IFIP TC9 Human Choice and Computers Conference [Archive Site]|title=Call for Papers|date=2018|url=http://ifiptc9.org/hcc13/call-for-papers/}}</ref>

== In popular culture == Intimacy with robots, artificial intelligence, and other human-constructed items have a strong presence in the media landscape. They provoke questions about what love is, why people crave the need for affection, and challenge pre-existing beliefs of what it means to be human.<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite news |last1=Wiseman |first1=Eva |title=Sex, love and robots: is this the end of intimacy? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/13/sex-love-and-robots-the-end-of-intimacy |work=The Observer |date=13 December 2015 |archive-date=25 July 2019 |access-date=14 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725140054/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/13/sex-love-and-robots-the-end-of-intimacy |url-status=live }}</ref>

Originally published in 1886, the novel ''[[The Future Eve|Tomorrow's Eve]]'' centers around a fictionalized [[Thomas Edison]], who creates a female robot for his lonely patron. While the robot's beauty is apparent, the robot lacks the emotional capabilities to fill that hole in his heart.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=de Fren |first1=Allison |title=The Anatomical Gaze in Tomorrow's Eve |journal=Science Fiction Studies |date=2009 |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=235–265 |jstor=40649958}}</ref>

[[Fritz Lang]]'s 1927 film ''[[Metropolis (1927 film)|Metropolis]]'' contains the robot Maria as a central figure, who is portrayed as sexually alluring.

In [[Fritz Leiber|Fritz Leiber's]] 1959 novel ''The Silver Eggheads'', non-sentient female sexbots were known to exist. They would do whatever sex act was asked of them as long as money inserted into a slot at the back of the neck held out.<ref>Leiber, Fritz. The Silver Eggheads (New York: Del Ray), 1979. ISBN No. 978-0345279668.</ref>

Several episodes of the 1960s television show ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' featured female androids as companions of the protagonist, notably Andrea from the episode "[[What Are Little Girls Made Of?]]" and Rayna Kapec from the episode "[[Requiem for Methuselah]]". Due to television censorship of the time, sexuality is only alluded to, although Nurse [[Christine Chapel]] referred to Andrea as "a mechanical geisha." Both episodes employ the plot device of having the android struggle to comprehend and come to terms with human emotion. Further, in the episode [[I, Mudd]] several series of female robots were created to the personal specifications of [[Harcourt Fenton Mudd]]. The "Alice" series at least, according to Alice 118, "are programmed to function as human females," having been so programmed by "that unprincipled, evil-minded, lecherous kulak Harry Mudd."<ref>Kandel, Stephen. "I, Mudd." Star Trek TOS Episode 2/08. First aired November 3, 1967.</ref>

The 1973 Michael Crichton film ''[[Westworld (film)|Westworld]]'' featured android prostitutes at "Miss Carrie's place." In addition, there were "basic sex model" female robots programmed not to resist a guest's seduction in Roman World and Medieval World; and male equivalents in Roman World were referred to. Further, specific robots could be programmed for certain sexual behaviors. At one point, the Queen in Medieval World is programmed for infidelity, to tie into a guest's desire for his vacation.

The 1972 novel ''[[The Stepford Wives]]'', which was [[The Stepford Wives (1975 film)|made into a 1975 film]], features women being duplicated and replaced by subservient robots created by their husbands. Made in the wake of the late 1960s [[Women's liberation movement]], the men in the story intend to remove all trace of individuality and free will from their liberated wives and remake them into sexually attractive and compliant housewives, content with homemaking and tending to their husbands' every need.

[[Ridley Scott]]'s 1982 film ''[[Blade Runner (film)|Blade Runner]]'' depicts the android characters Pris, Rachel and Zhora as having been manufactured to be sexually alluring; Pris, in particular, is referred to as "a basic pleasure model".

Sex robots appear in central roles in selected episodes of the anime series ''[[Bubblegum Crisis]]'' and ''[[AD Police Files]]''.

The 1988 post-apocalyptic film ''[[Cherry 2000]]'' is built around the quest of the protagonist to locate a Cherry 2000 model gynoid robot into which he can install the memory disk of his "wife," a destroyed Cherry 2000 gynoid, thus recreating her.

The 2001 film ''[[A.I. Artificial Intelligence]]'' depicts a male sex robot, Gigolo Joe, as a main character. Joe describes that humans love what robots do for them, but cannot love them since they are not flesh and blood, and in the end, hate them. A Gigolo Jane female model also briefly appears in the film.

Two androids with sexual abilities appeared in episodes of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. In "I Was Made to Love You," [[Warren Mears]] builds a fembot girlfriend, but after acquiring a human girlfriend discovers that dumping the droid is more difficult than he anticipated.<ref>"I Was Made To Love You", ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' Season 5, Episode 15, [[The WB]], February 20, 2001.</ref> In "Intervention," [[Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|Spike]] takes delivery of his own, personal Buffybot, also built by Mears. As implied by actions and dialogue in the episode, the Buffybot as built is a sexbot.<ref>"Intervention", ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', Season 5, Epsidoe 18, [[The WB]], April 24, 2001.</ref>

''[[Futurama]]'' has two episodes involving robots and organic beings, "[[I Dated a Robot]]" and "[[Proposition Infinity]]".

The 2007 film ''[[Lars and the Real Girl]]'' explores the idea of a [[agalmatophilia|romantic attachment]] to artificial human-like items. Ultimately, the film concludes with the protagonist "murdering" his sex doll lover in a river: emphasizing the projection of one's idealized lover onto an inanimate object.<ref name="theguardian.com"/>

The 2014 film ''[[Ex Machina (film)|Ex Machina]]'' questions common notions about consciousness. A sentient female robot is created with a violent outcome, rebelling against her creators. Responding to the protagonist's uncertainty about her fate if she does not live up to her creator's standards, the robot, Ava, responds, "Why is it up to anyone?" about whether or not she lives.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

In the 2015–2018 British series ''[[Humans (TV series)|Humans]]'', there are both male and female courtesan "synths" (the series' name for androids). The synths that have achieved human consciousness cannot be told from human beings.

In the 2016 TV series ''[[Westworld (TV series)|Westworld]]'', realistic interactive robots, part of a theme park, engage in sexual and other activity with guests.

The 2020 [[satirical]] [[dystopian fiction]] novel ''Ride, Sally, Ride'' by [[Douglas Wilson (theologian)|Douglas Wilson]] centers on the cultural impact of charging a man with murder for destroying a sex robot which was claimed to be a legal spouse by its owner.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://reformedperspective.ca/ride-sally-ride/|title=Ride Sally, Ride|date=15 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://providencenotfate.wordpress.com/2020/09/12/book-review-ride-sally-ride-by-douglas-wilson/|title=Book Review: Ride, Sally, Ride by Douglas Wilson|date=12 September 2020}}</ref>

== See also == * [[Agalmatophilia]] * [[Gynoid]] * ''[[Joe's Garage]]'' * [[Mechanophilia]] * [[Robot fetishism]] * [[Sex machine]] * [[Social robot]] * [[Teledildonics]]

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== {{Wiktionary|Wikisaurus:sexbot}} *{{citation |title=Let's talk about sex robots |journal=Nature |volume=547 |issue=7662 |page=138 |date=July 2017 |doi=10.1038/547138a|pmid=28703204 |bibcode=2017Natur.547..138. |s2cid=4465574 |doi-access=free }} *{{citation |url=https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/08/25/sex-robots-the-sad-future-of-sexual-fantasy/ |title=Sex Robots: The Sad Future of Sexual Fantasy |last=Rosen |first=David |date=August 2017}} *

[[Category:Sex robots|*]]