Indian Media Reports on Smart Sex Dolls: Current Status and Analysis of Surreal Intimate Relationships

Sex dolls equipped with AI artificial intelligence can not only accompany singles and elderly people living alone to relieve loneliness, but also are expected to provide auxiliary rehabilitation for patients suffering from sexual physiological disorders, which seems unimaginable in traditional concepts.

Adult sex doll without upper limbs. Image source: Pixabay

In this field, AI sensor technology brings sex dolls to life, allowing them to mimic subtle human movements: head tilts, blinks, raised eyebrows, grimaces, and even synchronized eye and lip movements. These dolls are not just for entertainment, they demonstrate the deep learning capabilities of artificial intelligence by learning the user’s preferences and adapting accordingly.

Five years ago, sex dolls replaced some sex workers in Spain and Germany, a shift that marked the beginning of a shift in the role of sex dolls in society. At the International Consumer Electronics Show CES, RealDoll, a smart sex doll company, is offering dolls equipped with smart electronic body parts that can cost up to $30,000. The basic version of the custom AI smart dolls can be pre-ordered for a minimum price of $30,000. $6,500. In China, a same-sex smart doll sells for about $3,000.

Image credit: Enrique via Pixabay

Sex dolls have been a source of controversy in technology and academic circles for two decades. The first decade was devoted to the creation of these disruptive technologies, while the second decade was more devoted to examining their legal and ethical risks.

Mohammad Gaut, a former sales director at Google Research, suggested in a podcast that artificial intelligence has the potential to eliminate the human role in the bedroom. He imagined that a combination of a good VR headset, body sensors, and a sexy, intelligent doll could help people spice up their private rooms. The vision is reminiscent of Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain-computer interface project, which announced in early 2024 that human trials could begin within six months.

Image credit: Laura Musikanski from Pexels

Despite the risks and ethical dilemmas of artificial intelligence, optimists believe that sex dolls and artificial intelligence can create truly intimate relationships with humans. In a paper on sex dolls, Harvard Law School professor Jeanne Suk Gershon argued that human intimacy faces fundamental threats and raised the challenge for regulators to describe such relationships.

The porn industry has always benefited from technological advancements. From the first erotic videos in the 1870s to Beta VHS tapes and DVDs, Blu-ray DVDs and the Internet, the porn industry continues to adapt and take advantage of new technologies.

In many countries, the population is shrinking and the ratio between men and women is unbalanced. The combination of sex dolls and artificial intelligence tools is expected to reduce the loneliness of singles and elderly people living alone, and provide rehabilitation assistance to patients suffering from sexual disorders, even if it seems likely. a plot of a science fiction movie, but there is real social value behind it. A survey by the British newspaper “The Sun” shows that many young British people agree to date intelligent sex dolls and flirt with them.

AI smart sex doll. Image source: Pexels

The use of sex dolls raises ethical dilemmas regarding the objectification of women and sexual consent. Intelligent sex dolls that nod in affirmation at every request can create unreasonable expectations and create new social challenges.

Historically, studies have claimed that dolls with childlike attributes can reduce crime against children. However, in 2020, Professor Bela Chatterjee suggested that allowing the trade in child dolls and robots could amount to encouraging the portrayal of children as victims. An Italian study failed to prove the effectiveness of child sex dolls, while new research from 2022 suggests that child sex dolls have some functional utility and calls for further research.

Number of rape cases reported in India each year Image source: Compiled by Statista.

In India, research on sex dolls may be hampered for ethical reasons. In 2021, the country recorded about 31,000 cases of rape and 33,348 assaults involving children. NGOs estimate that about 50,000 children are victims of human trafficking and sex trafficking.

Spain has institutionalized the use of sex dolls in the brothel industry. For example, LumiDolls brothels all offer services with intelligent sex dolls. This model was quickly replicated in France, England, and Germany. The theory that female robots could eliminate child abuse and prostitution may need a more nuanced examination. China’s AI sex dolls have been able to learn Chinese and several other languages ​​since their launch in 2018, and the latest version has even learned to reject users appropriately.

The development and application of these technologies have undoubtedly brought new challenges and new thinking to our society. While pursuing scientific and technological progress, we must also think deeply about its impact on human society and moral values.

Reference: A paradox called artificial intimacy