Rise of the sexy-bot. Wait, what!?
One of the things I love about sci-fi is that many times, it gives us glimpses of technologies, political situations, and social changes that might be totally possible given enough time. They may not always be accurate but still, sci-fi is unique in its ability to blend the imaginative with the scientific. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence dealt with robot sex slaves or gyneoids. We saw this same issue at least briefly in Blade Runner with the character of Pris, a “basic pleasure model.” Yet now, it seems that we’ve finally gotten to the point where it’s no longer science fiction to shack up with your serv0-articulated sweetie.
It seems that sex robots are already here and they’re getting to the point where it’s not just about sex but also pillow talk. Roxxxy (Clever buggers they are in the marketing department. Just look at all those X’s), a new model sex-bot, can actually communicate with you and have some limited conversation. This whole concept is very strange. We’re not talking about just a sex toy but a person or companion simulator. This brings up all kinds of ethical and practical issues. Who knows how much more advanced they may get? With artificial intelligence picking up speed and better robotics, maybe the android isn’t too far away either. If they can spend this much time developing the technology for sex, I don’t see why they can’t put it towards something a little more, I don’t know, practical and public-friendly.
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Writing the Future 
March 1, 2010 at 14:31
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March 1, 2010 at 15:25
Hey, I found this post when you linked to my piece. It’s very thoughtful and well-written. It’s good to see people putting some thought into the implications of these evolving technologies.
March 1, 2010 at 15:36
Well, thanks for putting it up in the first place. I’m happy I stumbled upon your blog. It’s got so much stuff that’s really edgy and thought provoking that I wouldn’t have had any idea was out there otherwise. Keep that awesome content coming!
March 1, 2010 at 15:55
You, too!
March 3, 2010 at 13:21
Wow! that is all I can really say. Thank you for opening my eyes to science fictions reality. My husband often tells me that if I have seen it in a movie chances are someone is making it reality. Sometimes this is one scary thought.
March 4, 2010 at 11:29
It certainly is frightening how quickly the world is moving forward and I think the biggest challenge we will face is our own maturity. Sure, it’s great to have unbelievably advanced technology and it is a sort of mark of pride, an aggrandizement of our collective sense of being human that we can create such things; however, we have to be able to deal with the changes such technologies will inexorably bring. That is the scary part since science, at the basic level, is totally neutral and innocent. It’s when we go to apply it that we must be careful of what we create and make sure it is used to serve the good of humanity.
March 4, 2010 at 03:00
I easily see within the next 25 years “sexy bots” can be available. Considering, as you site, the advancements in robotics and AI, along with our growing social needs, it almost seems a foregone conclusion. By “social needs” I mean, it’s hard to walk in the public for five minutes without seeing someone’s ear stuck to a cell phone. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony doesn’t have it on the fast-track to compete with the next generation of the Wii. Right now, what interests me as much as robotics are the huge advancements in genetics. Instead of building your next mate with polymers, the next step is using actual DNA. Someday, we may discover the genes that determine our souls, and we can have true soul-mates manufactured at the doctor’s office.
March 4, 2010 at 11:45
Wow. No more eHarmony or Match.com. Just build your own partner. Sort of reminds me of that Build a Bear place. It’s kind of a creepy thought, actually. While androids and cybernetics can easily capture the imagination with their blending of human and machine, as my sister who is in the biomedical field tells me, the Grail is going to be, as you said, complete control over cellular and living material. Nature built it better and all we can hope to do is harness that power somehow. Maybe one day we will have vat grown partners. We’re finally starting to understand the most basic aspects of how the brain works which might mean we could theoretically create and control neural networks to create a partner with the personality and behaviors one would want. The idea is quite incredible and not outside the realm of possibility which makes it even stranger.