The sex dolls are extremely realistic: most of them are made of silicone and have articulated metal skeleton
Should importing sex robots that look like children be banned?
Noel Sharkey, professor emeritus of robotics and intelligence gone University of Sheffield (UK), believes that this is a question society has to answer - and soon. He has just published a report by his Robotics Foundation (FRR), in which he shares his concerns about robots created for sexual purposes - and says that society should take into account the impact of all types of Robots.
Sharkey says there are not many companies that make these dolls. However, he fears that the recent advancement of robotics may change this outlook.
The idea of the study, entitled Our Sexual Future with Robots, was precisely to draw attention to an issue which, according to the expert, has not been sufficiently discussed so far.
Sharkey says it's hard to figure out how many people have such equipment, as manufacturers do not disclose data on product sales.
"We need lawmakers to investigate the issue and let the population decide whether these relationships are acceptable and permissible." "We have to think, as a society, of what we are going to do about it, I have no answers, just ask the questions."
Much more than dolls
Among the companies that make sex robots are Android Love Doll, Sex Bot and True Companion. Most of them had worked on the production of very realistic erotic dolls made of silicone. Now they are planning - or have begun to - produce dolls that are capable of moving and talking.
The most advanced of these companies is the Abyss Creation, of San Diego, in the United States, that manufactures a robot doll called Real Doll. Also of silicone, it is quite realistic and is life-sized.
At the end of the year, the company will launch Harmony, a copy with artificial intelligence. It will have the function of moving your head and eyes, and you may even speak through an application connected to a tablet.
The company has already launched the application, which allows users to program voice and the "astral" of the doll.
But how could robots be used? Sharkey's report considers some options:
- "prostitute robots" who can work in brothels
- company for lonely or elderly people
- as a new model of "sexual healing"
- sexual therapy for rapists and pedophiles
For Professor Sharkey, the latter option would be the most problematic.
There are currently sex dolls that resemble children. The Justice of Canada, for example, is deciding whether to own one of them may be illegal.
Canadian Kenneth Harrison was charged with child pornography after a doll he had purchased was intercepted at the airport. He acquired the toy from the Japanese company called Harumi Designs, which is on the radar of the Canadian authorities.
Harrison pleaded not guilty and the trial is in progress.
In some Asian countries, brothels with dolls of this type already exist. There are also reports on a manufacturer of these toys in Barcelona.
There are still few companies that manufacture sex robots, but this scenario should change in the next few years.
Other types of pornography
Kathleen Richardson, a robotics ethicist at the University of Montfort in the UK, is of the opinion that sex-like sex toys should be banned - but she sees no reason to ban all sex dolls.
"The real problem is not the dolls, but the sex trade. Sex robots are just another type of pornography," he said in an interview with the BBC.
Richardson believes that this type of object "undoubtedly increases social isolation."
However, she criticizes Sharkey's report for using a photo of a male robot on the cover of the study, which could give her a notion - false to her - that the market does not distinguish between sexes.
"Why does the report have a picture of a male robot on the cover, when we know that the doll market is mostly female?" He asks.
"This serves to perpetuate the notion that the market is neutral, but the truth is that there are not many women who buy these dolls. This market is largely driven by men's thoughts and male sexuality," he says.
Pleasures and love
Professor Sharkey says there is a contradiction between what companies promise with these products and what they can deliver. "Manufacturers want to create an experience that is as close as possible to a human sexual encounter," he says. "But robots can not feel love, tenderness, nor can they create affective bonds. The best they can do is pretend."
Sex-driven robots are a recent phenomenon and a breakthrough in relation to dolls, which have become more sophisticated in recent years. Most of them are made of silicone and have articulated metal skeleton. Hair and eyes are extremely realistic. Most of them represent women, although Sinthetics has had some success with male specimens.
Professor Sharkey questions the extent to which toys will have truly human aspects. "I do not see them as humans in the next 50 years, they will always be a little scary, their current 'talking' skills are terrible," he says.
Researcher Richardson questions whether sex robots will succeed and whether they will be viable.
"The report assumes that it's possible to create a robot that can respond to humans, but actually getting to that is incredibly complex," she says.
