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sEx machina: Call to ban sex-bots

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A campaign has been launched calling for a ban on the development of robots that can be used for sex.
Such a use of the technology is unnecessary and undesirable, said campaign leader Dr Richardson.

Dr Richardson, a robot ethicist at De Montfort University in Leicester, wants to raise awareness of the issue and persuade those developing sex robots to rethink how their technology is used.

...believes that they reinforce traditional stereotypes of women and the view that a relationship need be nothing more than physical.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34118482

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So other than a "robot ethicist" being a "thing" (I mean I guess so? Just sounds weird), this is kinda strange to me. Being married with kids a sexbot isn't exactly a thing I could get away with, but I don't think banning them is the answer for all the lonely people in the world.
Sure once the AI becomes self aware and sentient I see owning high level AI equal to that of slavery and that will need to be addressed. Though that is somewhat measurable but we're nowhere near that level yet.

So where do you stand?
 
What about places where there are serious imbalances between male and females? couldn't sexy robots help with societal tension?
 

rjinaz

Member
believes that they reinforce traditional stereotypes of women and the view that a relationship need be nothing more than physical.

With this logic I guess porn needs to be banned and all sexual toys. Also can there not be manbots?
 

Dabanton

Member
Sex robots or pleasure bots are probably what will push this stuff into the mainstream. Of course it would depend how 'realistic' these sex bots are.

No doubt Japan would go gaga over them.
 

jediyoshi

Member
"We think that the creation of such robots will contribute to detrimental relationships between men and women, adults and children, men and men and women and women," she said.

What about children and children
 

akira28

Member
So we do ban fleshlights next? Where is the line drawn?!?

banning masturbation because it contributes to social maladjustment, people should be out at church meetings, not at home watching porn. It sends a bad message.

I like that he's plying the womens' rights angle though. That one was unexpected.
 

Meffer

Member
banning masturbation because it contributes to social maladjustment, people should be out at church meetings, not at home watching porn. It sends a bad message.

I like that he's plying the womens' rights angle though. That one was unexpected.

A lady can't enjoy a robo dude and/or a robo lady as well?
 

akira28

Member
Ban robots that lift heavy objects or investigate scary noises at night if you're so concerned about stereotypes.

Well it seems like he's implying that these robots will somehow denigrate women, reinforcing stereotypes that they are just sex objects. when the woman has been removed from the equation and instead, replaced with a sex object.

edit: oh, she. Dr. Kathleen Richardson. oh come on.
 

Terrell

Member

I stand close enough to the robot ethicist's point to be comfortable with what is being said.

There's already more than enough commoditization of sex and treating ACTUAL people as objects that this seems like the next logical step only if we refuse to acknowledge that both of those previously mentioned things are unhealthy societal problems.

Sex robots is essentially giving the insane meth addict an option for a lifetime supply instead of giving them the truly obvious help they need.

It perpetuates the problem instead of solving it.
 
Well it seems like he's implying that these robots will somehow denigrate women, reinforcing stereotypes that they are just sex objects. when the woman has been removed from the equation and instead, replaced with a sex object.

You don't say...

EDIT: Regarding your edit, that's not what I'm mocking.
 
I stand close enough to the robot ethicist's point to be comfortable with what is being said.

There's already more than enough commoditization of sex and treating ACTUAL people as objects that this seems like the next logical step only if we refuse to acknowledge that both of those previously mentioned things are unhealthy societal problems.

Sex robots is essentially giving the insane meth addict an option for a lifetime supply instead of giving them the truly obvious help they need.

It perpetuates the problem instead of solving it.

Wait, so sex is meth now?
Something that hurts nobody is equal to something that fucks up peoples health and can lead them to crime, violent and otherwise?

But what if sex-bots put an end to the real human sex trade? Isn't that good?
I mean it hasn't gone anywhere since the beginning of time, and it isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
 

FUME5

Member
As millions of self aware fleshlights took to the streets, Dr Richardson could only whisper "You fools" before she was drowned in the tidal wave of silicon and ejaculate.
 

DarkKyo

Member
I'm far more interested in a full immersion VR sex program than I'd ever be in some kind of weird sex robot(especially the early ones are going to be weird for a long time most likely).

It does sound like a waste of robotics.
 

injurai

Banned
It's amazing how the male sexuality is always conflated with discarding all non-physical values of a women. It's also amazing how sex-bots are seen as an only male venture.
 

akira28

Member
sex became a meth-addiction when the robots came. And people weren't even sex addicts. They weren't the ones to commodify sex. They weren't even the ones treating actual people like objects. They just wanted to have sex with a robot some day..

Seems like those hypothetical people aren't the problem, but the market that stands to make a fuckload of money on sexbots will be taking money from someone else who also just so happens to be selling another aspect of sex.
 

Terrell

Member
Wait, so sex is meth now?
Something that hurts nobody is equal to something that fucks up people health and can cause them to crime, violent and otherwise?

But what if sex-bots put an end to the real human sex trade? Isn't that good?
I mean it hasn't gone anywhere since the beginning of time, and it isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Sex hurts nobody? Doesn't effect people's health? Doesn't lead to crime? Statistics regarding domestic abuse, rape, child abuse and sexually-transmitted infection rates seem to indicate something quite to the contrary. Just throwing that out there that sex isn't quite the harmless desire you're making it out to be. Just like some meth heads can be reasonably decent human beings, some can't, and the same applies to how people think about, engage in and treat sex.

The real human sex trade wouldn't disappear because of sex bots, it would likely increase as people get bored with their "toys", want the "real deal" and either force themselves on an unwilling partner in mild to severe degrees of aggression, which falls under the violent crime aspect that you seem to believe would disappear, or... you guessed it, throw money into the human sex trade.

Further commoditization of sex, as I said, perpetuates instead of solves the problems.
 

Meffer

Member
sex became a meth-addiction when the robots came. And people weren't even sex addicts. They weren't the ones to commodify sex. They weren't even the ones treating actual people like objects. They just wanted to have sex with a robot some day..

Seems like those hypothetical people aren't the problem, but the market that stands to make a fuckload of money on sexbots will be taking money from someone else who also just so happens to be selling another aspect of sex.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGf2b1H91JA
Sex has changed...
 

-Plasma Reus-

Service guarantees member status
Only men would use sex bots? Sex bots would be exlusively female bots?
How can you be a doctor and be this stupid.
 
sex became a meth-addiction when the robots came. And people weren't even sex addicts. They weren't the ones to commodify sex. They weren't even the ones treating actual people like objects. They just wanted to have sex with a robot some day..

Seems like those hypothetical people aren't the problem, but the market that stands to make a fuckload of money on sexbots will be taking money from someone else who also just so happens to be selling another aspect of sex.

I don't know dude. We've had vibrators and fleshlights for a long time now and things seem better than they ever have been between the sexes (in western culture).
This seems more along the lines of rock n roll being devils music and video games breed violence type outrage.
I prefer to think of the good this can bring people. Companionship for the lonely, for the disabled (a much forgotten demographic in terms of sex). I don't see the harm... Well until the full self awareness and sentience level AI is reached.
 
Well it seems like he's implying that these robots will somehow denigrate women, reinforcing stereotypes that they are just sex objects. when the woman has been removed from the equation and instead, replaced with a sex object.

edit: oh, she. Dr. Kathleen Richardson. oh come on.

Male straight sex robots not allowed then?
 
I wonder if they're also working on a sex robot for straight women and gay men...or just a straight dude who is really into butt stuff...dont judge.
 

Oppo

Member
Sex hurts nobody? Doesn't effect people's health? Doesn't lead to crime? Statistics regarding domestic abuse, rape, child abuse and sexually-transmitted infection rates seem to indicate something quite to the contrary. Just throwing that out there that sex isn't quite the harmless desire you're making it out to be. Just like some meth heads can be reasonably decent human beings, some can't, and the same applies to how people think about, engage in and treat sex.

The real human sex trade wouldn't disappear because of sex bots, it would likely increase as people get bored with their "toys", want the "real deal" and either force themselves on an unwilling partner in mild to severe degrees of aggression, which falls under the violent crime aspect that you seem to believe would disappear, or... you guessed it, throw money into the human sex trade.

Further commoditization of sex, as I said, perpetuates instead of solves the problems.

come on. this is a crazy leap and borderline offensive.

sex bots will not lead to rape.
 
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