Audrey Pope | Robotics Researcher and Author

Should Doctors Prescribe Sexbots for Patients with Sexual Dysfunction?

Audrey Pope — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 20:32:24 +0000

Ongoing debate explores potential harms and benefits.

Last month’s Applied Evolutionary Psychology Society’s Mental Health Symposium covered a wide range of topics, but one talk, in particular, would go on to be described in Psychology Today as a “showstopper.”

Its focus? Prescription sex robots.

Arguments against android lovers

Dr. Glenn Geher reflected on his attendance at the lecture by clinical psychologist and sex therapist Dr. Marianne Brandon, who spoke on the imminence of sex robots being prescribed to patients diagnosed with sexual dysfunction—and the possibility of this treatment being covered by insurance.

The problem, she argued, is that this easy access will lead to a laundry list of problems that—despite possible benefits for individual users—will be catastrophic for society at large.

Examples of such problems include the unequal production and consumption of this technology among users of different genders. The technology will be catered toward men, she says, and the possibility of covering the bots with insurance is already supported primarily by male lawmakers.

In the future, she worries that widespread usage of sex robots may even result in decreased marriage and birth rates, as fewer people choose to engage in “imperfect” human relationships. Reports on Brandon’s talk describe these consequences as a threat to human society as we know it.

Geher elaborated on the threat of sex robots in his own article, calling the technology an example of supernormal stimuli: something that exploits evolutionarily desirable traits in artificial ways.

According to Geher, in the same way that a Big Mac amplifies the desirable high-fat content of food that was advantageous for our ancestors to consume, sex robots amplify the desirable characteristics evolutionarily connected to reproductive success.

The trouble with this, he says, is that supernormal stimuli aren’t sustainable because they create problems down the road—even if they seem to produce improvements in the short-term.

On the other hand

However, not all experts agree on the dangers of prescription sex robots.

In fact, in 2015, Dr. Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist from the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University Langone Medical Center, published a video on Medscape, suggesting that sex robots are actually capable of social good.

Among other possibilities, he cites sexual surrogacy or use as a social aid as reasonable circumstances for introducing sex robots in a therapeutic capacity. In comparison to benefits like these, he argues, the likelihood that sex robots have a negative influence on society is slight. The benefits for individual users, then, more than justify usage of the technology in medical treatment plans.

So, the question remains: who will we trust? Will lawmakers, medical professionals, and insurance companies heed the warnings laid forth by Brandon and Geher? Or will the promise of therapeutic success for individual users soon make prescription sex robots a reality?

What do you think?

Image source: Stefan Keller

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Sexbot Emma Update: Animatronic Love Doll Can Now Learn and Respond to New Name

Audrey Pope — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 21:40:44 +0000

A rose by any other name smells just as sweet. But a sex doll? Well, they may just get even sweeter.

AI Tech just released the latest update on its popular animatronic sex doll, formerly known only as “Emma.” Users are now able to rename their robotic dolls, programming them to respond to other names.

Earlier this year, AI Tech showcased the doll’s progress in producing an impressive variety of facial expressions.

In an even more recent video, though, the company upped the ante again, highlighting both Emma’s dynamic expressions and the easy process users can go through to rename their new companion.

Using the simple command, “Change name,” users can ask their doll to recognize a new name as their own.

In the video, the doll is shown asking for confirmation that she will now be referred to as “Mary.” Then, when asked again, “What is your name?” the doll proceeds to respond, “Mary.”

A representative from AI Tech says that the update is a direct response to customers’ requests.

Customers used to mention that they wished they could name the doll themselves and that such an ability would make the doll feel more like “a part of the family.”

Hopefully, the representative says, this update will satisfy users and be an exciting improvement to their already popular doll.

Image sources: Carol Chow

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‘Toothed’ Anti-rape Wearable Bites Back Against Attackers

Audrey Pope — Tue, 21 May 2019 14:48:00 +0000

The myth of the vagina dentata enters reality with Rape-aXe.

The vagina has long been viewed with an aura of mystery, mystique, and—surprisingly often—danger.

Folklore, for example, is chock-full of stories of vagina dentata, Latin for “toothed vagina.” The idea, quite gruesome, is that the vagina is lined with sharp teeth, which upon penetration, will (at the very least) injure an intruder.

The myth, which can be found in cultural lore across the world, is understood to be a cautionary tale for penis-owners, a warning about forced entry in a time before consent was widely discussed.

For medical researcher Sonnet Ehlers/Bryant, however, the tale of vagina dentata is less fable than ambitious fact. In South Africa, where Ehlers/Bryant lives and works, as many as one in four women have been raped—a horrifying statistic which, nevertheless, is likely still “grossly underreported.” Similarly shocking statistics can be observed worldwide.

Ehlers/Bryant, recognizing the frequency with which sexual assault remains overlooked by the criminal justice system, knew that these staggering figures required a novel, radical response.

Cue Rape-aXe

Inspired by a woman who told Ehlers/Bryant that she wished she had “teeth down there” after surviving an attack, Rape-aXe, is now in the prototype phase.

It is an inter-vaginal device that pushes barbs into a penis upon insertion, remaining attached as the penis is withdrawn. The rapist will be left incapacitated by pain, and any relaxation of the penis will only cause the barbs to push deeper into the flesh.

The surprise and pain caused by Rape-aXe give the victim time to fight back or escape. The device can only be removed by a medical professional, ensuring that a rapist’s identity can eventually be confirmed and used in a subsequent prosecution.

The Rape-aXe device itself, however, is designed for the comfort and protection of its main wearers. Inserted like a tampon, the single-use device is intended to be as safe as possible.

A protective barrier shields the vaginal canal from the barbs, and the device is made from hypoallergenic, non-absorbent material, protecting users from allergic reactions and toxic shock syndrome.

Rape-aXe, designed to be as affordable as possible, as well, aims to offer a practical and accessible method for defending against sexual violence.

Rape-aXeis still being crowdfunded online before moving into mass production for the general public, and improvements in comfort and efficacy are still underway. When fundraising goals are met, Rape-aXe hopes to offer people with vaginas an opportunity to “take back the power” from attackers.

By empowering victims with a method of self-defense and improving the chances for successful prosecution, Rape-aXe is a cautionary tale turned practical strategy. This vagina dentata can really bite back.

For more information or to contribute to fundraising, visit: https://rape-axe.com.

Image sources: Rape-aXe, GoFundMe

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What I Learned About Humanity As a Sexbot Researcher

Audrey Pope — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 21:16:36 +0000

Audrey Pope unveils her scholarly pursuit of erotic robotics.

I was studying abroad in Amsterdam when I began this project of mine. A gender studies student, I was tasked with developing an independent research project, exploring any topic I liked. I chose sex robots. It was—at the very least—an unexpected path. As I told my friends when I first began my work, I never thought I’d be the person who talked about robots all the time. Now that the subject is constantly on my mind, though, I wonder why we aren’t all thinking about sex robots.

Everywhere I turn, it seems, I’m faced with another example of our growing fascination with the intelligent robot.

I’ve found myself stumbling upon advertisements for events like The Man Machine, an exhibition of films and events about robot technology at the EYE Film Museum in Amsterdam. There, I saw screenings of Her and Ex Machina for the first time and was introduced to Hollywood’s adaptations of the ideas I was exploring.

I also attended the Robot Love expo and convention in Eindhoven—a once in a lifetime experience—where artists and scientists came together to question whether or not love can exist between humans and machines.

These experiences, among others, have made it clear that robotics and artificial intelligence have already begun to pervade our world.

Since then, I have found myself time and time again with the opportunity to explore the presence of robots in my own life, and if nothing else, I find myself with an argument in favor of David Levy’s claim in his widely popular book, Love and Sex with Robots: the robots are coming. We had better start talking about it.

The idea

It is, of course, no question that sexuality has long been considered a marker of human modernity: the nuanced, human approach to sex being one of the finest examples of what makes us such a (self-proclaimed) advanced species.

This, coupled with the human mastery of tools, can be cited as responsible for our separation from the rest of the animal kingdom. The junction between sex and technology, therefore, is undoubtedly worth considering as an examination of humanity, at large.

Sex robots, then, as the exemplar of this juncture, can be looked at not only as the holy grail of sex toys but rather as representative of something much more abstract: a reflection of what makes us human.

The opportunity to tackle this daunting theoretical question was too good for me to pass up. I wanted to take a stab at finding an answer, and I wanted to combine sex robots and critical theory to do it.

The survey

My first question seemed easy enough: what really differentiates a robot from any other personal sex device?

When I say it out loud, it almost seems too simple: it’s the body. The bodies of sex robots are what really makes them special.

We could—and are already beginning to—combine advanced software and sophisticated mechanics in a myriad of ways, creating devices capable of pleasuring us with nuance and individuality.

But rarely do these possibilities evoke concerns of ethical thin ice the same way robots tend to. I wanted to know why.

So, I set out to see how people perceived the impact of embodiment as it pertains to sex robots. I released an online survey, asking people whether or not they would consider certain behaviors to be cheating on a partner.

The behaviors ranged from those that don’t rely on embodiment at all (like watching pornography), to those that do depend on embodiment (like engaging in sexual intercourse). Among these behaviors, I included questions describing intercourse with a human robot.

The results were starkly apparent. Behaviors which relied on embodiment were much more likely to be considered cheating on a partner, illustrating the importance of embodiment in actualizing sexual behaviors.

In other words, the data show that embodiment is what makes most humans perceive sexuality as real. So, when we’re talking about sex robots, as opposed to basic sex toys or virtual sex games, their bodies, even though artificial, make them significantly more likely to be considered “real” sexual beings.

Virtual reality

One surveyed behavior illustrates this conclusion particularly well: the use of virtual reality technology for sexual fantasy. This question received the most evenly distributed results, with percentages coming in near 50/50.

Virtual reality is unique because it incorporates aspects of both imaginative fantasy and realistic, embodied pleasure. The more advanced the specific piece of technology or program is, the more realistic the fantasy becomes.

It is possible, consequently, that the divide of opinions on this subject is related to differences in understanding or previous experience with VR. That is to say, if an individual has had experience with advanced and immersive VR technology, they are more likely to believe that using VR for sexual pleasure constitutes cheating on a partner.

On the other hand, if an individual does not perceive or has not experienced VR technology as capable of presenting a realistic experience, they are more likely to characterize using VR for sexual pleasure as purely imaginative.

Virtual reality thus bridges the gap between technological imagination and reality. In this way, it differs from a sex robot only in embodiment. The distribution of responses to this survey question, then, show us exactly where people draw the line, where real sexuality is distinguished.

What does it all mean, though?

Knowing that sexuality is actualized through the body helps explain why people so often think about sex robots with discomfort. Not only are we talking about bodies, we’re talking about our bodies. And this is where things get crazy.

Sex robots are loaded with representational content, the idea that these machines represent much more than the summation of their mechanical parts.

For example, when we talk about the ethical concerns of consent with sex robots, we’re not really worried about violence against mechanical objects or the abuse of artificial intelligence. Instead, we’re worried about what these behaviors represent.

So while we may know that these are machines, there’s this kind of gut reaction that there needs to be boundaries for how we interact with them. This is where the deeper meanings humans associate with sex robots begin to play out.

Theorist Masahiro Mori coined the phrase “uncanny valley” to describe the discomfort humans feel when we interact with humanoid forms.

My research piggybacked off of this idea, combining Mori’s uncanny discomfort with the work of theorist Jacques Lacan, who wrote about mirror theory. Lacan argues that seeing your reflection, either in a mirror or in the similarities of another body, is crucial for understanding who you are. Looking at a humanoid robot, then, is an opportunity for humans to recognize their own humanity.

I continued drawing inspiration from other theorists, building an argument to say that the fear or discomfort we feel with robots causes us to respond in ways that emphasize our power as humans, thus queuing up all of the ethical concerns that we talk about with sex robots, in particular.

I look at Cohen’s ideas of monster theory, exploring the ways that bodies are marked as different and, therefore, both dangerous and desirable. I turn again to Lacan, building off his ideas of transitivism and our inherently aggressive responses to difference. Lastly, I turn to French philosopher Michel Foucault, who argues that humans act in service of power systems.

Each of these theorists and their ideas about human nature contribute to my argument about what sex robots can tell us about our own humanity—namely, how precarious of a label that really is.

The development and employment of sex robots is actually just an avenue for the execution of human power. The ability to create and consequently control these machines is representative of something more than the actual function of these robots.

Rather, the ability to conquer these machines is representative of the conquering of a much more abstract fear, which, pessimistically, I argue is the fear of human fragility. Recognition of the idea that the human body is a site of both fear and desire and is one that can be both imitated and controlled is a source of aggression, and I argue that the employment of robots is merely a response to this apprehension.

Image sources: Audrey Pope

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