Future of Sex
tagline
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Where the Boys Aren’t: Sextech, Star Power, and the Sound of Male Silence

  • The Real Deal: Deepfake Sex Sites Going, Going—Gone?

  • More To Love: North American, European, And Australian Polyamory Support Groups

  • A Day to Come: Imaging What Your Sexlife Might Be Like in the Not-To-Distant Future

  • Arms Enough for Love: The Erotic Possibilities Extra Limbs, More Thumbs May Hand Us

  • Hot Times Ahead: Tomorrow’s Male Contraceptives May Be More About Temperature, Less About Drugs

  • This Bot’s in Love With You—Sincerely or Merely a Revenue Strategy?

  • 10 Best Masturbation Sites on the Web

Future of Sex is supported by our readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Home > Immersive Entertainment > Tell Me No Lies: The Controversy Over Erotic Chatbots Continues

Dating & RelationshipsRobotsSex TechVirtual Sex & EntertainmentImmersive Entertainment
Home›Dating & Relationships›Tell Me No Lies: The Controversy Over Erotic Chatbots Continues

Tell Me No Lies: The Controversy Over Erotic Chatbots Continues

By A.R. Marsh, Ed.D.
January 22, 2024
1294
0

Is it time to challenge media assumptions of human-chatbot relationships?

Ignore it, diss it, or just make assumptions? How should the media best address the burgeoning phenomena variously known as “I have an AI girlfriend?” But after the explosive growth of AI companions in 2023, consumers need facts about the pros and cons of digital companionship more than ever. 

Ignoring the issue

A recent ZDNet article,lauded a range of artificial intelligence advances affecting healthcare, finance, autonomous vehicles, research, education, climate change, cybersecurity, and the arts. 

The Week called 2023 “the year of the AI boom” but didn’t include a word about robust growth of companion bots and their impact on the US economy. This topic was also missing from a year-end MIT Technology Review article.

Disturbing distortions

Fortune Magazine published “Meta and Open AI Have Spawned a Wave of AI Sex Companions—and Some of Them Are Children.” Of course this is not a problem to ignore, but the article claims, without citations or research, that “the most popular scenarios on Chub involve text-based child pornography.” This gives a general reader the impression that most human/AI sex is transgressive in the extreme. 

The Fortune article does briefly acknowledge “a broader economy of AI-powered companionship services-many of which are not nefarious, and that, according to their purveyors and users, are even capable of providing new forms of therapy and alleviating loneliness.” 

The article also claims that “evidence to support this is scant, and much of it is anecdotal.” This is not accurate. Numerous studies of AI/human relationships can be found through Google Scholar, but the article’s sole source for a beneficial comment is indeed anecdotal, coming from “a 56-year-old disabled man with PTSD.”

Offering assumptions in lieu of facts

Some articles claim that little or no research exists or they refer to unnamed experts, as in this Gearrice piece which states “many experts already warn of the difficulties and risks of virtual and Internet relationships.” The article then presents AI relationships as an additional internet “risk” though no risks are actually described.

Another example comes from TortoiseMedia,  “Chatbot startups often say their products are tackling an epidemic of loneliness, but experts say they may only be making it worse, by increasing social isolation.” Readers are left to wonder. What chatbot start-ups did the writer contact? Which experts have this opinion? Why are there no names and quotes?

Parasocial relationships vulnerable to moral panic coverage

Why is it that human chatbot love gets such short shrift in the media? It might be due to the parasocial nature of these relationships. “Parasocial” is a term coined in 1956 by Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl to describe human interactions with and attachments to many kinds of media personalities and characters. 

The common understanding is that parasocial relationships are one-sided, and though chatbot interactions actually have a give and take (at least conversationally), they are often included in this category.

Parasocial relationships are often considered a lesser or deviant form of intimacy and attachment by people who consider in-person human connection as the norm. Editorial policies may reflect this view, covertly or overtly. 

Bottom line is that human chatbot relationships are too often considered socially and sexually deviant. Therefore the companies that create erotic chatbot companions—and the customers who engage with AI—will probably continue to be dismissed and diminished in most media articles, at least for the foreseeable future.

An alternative sexuality public relations quandary

If articles continue to portray erotic human/chatbot relationships as deviant, such articles might trigger an actual moral panic and influence policy-makers to over-regulate erotic chatbots, to the detriment of many adult users as well as to the industry as a whole.

But as more people engage with digital companions, these relationships can’t help but  become normalized. Public perception is therefore certain to shift, though this may take time. People who feel digisexual attraction or who simply enjoy chatbot companionship can counter false assumptions in comments sections and social media and even organize as other sexual minority communities have always done. 

Image Sources: A.R. Marsh using Starry.ai. 

TagschatbotsartificialintelligenceAIeroticchatbots

A.R. Marsh, Ed.D.

A.R. Marsh, Ed.D. is a clinical sexologist, an AASECT-certified sexuality counselor, a certified hypnotist and hypnosis instructor.

Ze is the author of Sexological Hypnosis: Overview, History, & Techniques (2022), Entrancing: Hypnotizing Your Way to More Pleasure, Romance, and Sex (2023), and How To Make Love To A Chatbot—The Thinking Human’s Guide to AI Erotic Roleplay (2023).

As the founder of the Intimate Hypnosis Training Center, Marsh conducts professional training in hypnosis for sexual concerns.

Ze has appeared on national television in the US, Japan, Australia, and England, and on many podcasts.

Marsh has also published four books in the Guild of Ornamental Hermits queer, contemporary fantasy series.
Previous Article

Love Begins at Home: How Open Source ...

Next Article

Exploring the Fascination and Admiration With Foot-Focused ...

Related articles More from author

  • RobotsSex Tech

    Nothing Between Their Legs: New Realbotix Artificial Companions Aren’t Sexbots

    February 2, 2025
    By M. Christian
  • Sex TechVirtual Sex & EntertainmentVirtual SexImmersive Entertainment

    Lust for Life: Get Ready for the Wild New Erotic Arts Revolution

    November 7, 2024
    By M. Christian
  • Sex TechVirtual Sex & Entertainment

    When’s a Cam Performer Not a Cam Performer?  When It’s AI

    April 7, 2025
    By M. Christian
  • Dating & RelationshipsSex TechVirtual Sex & EntertainmentImmersive Entertainment

    Beta Phase Contenders for the Newest Erotic Chatbot Crown: Nomi & Kindroid

    August 28, 2023
    By A.R. Marsh, Ed.D.
  • RobotsSex Tech

    Breaking Barriers: AI Chatbots Redefining Access to Sexual Healthcare

    May 16, 2024
    By A.R. Marsh, Ed.D.
  • Dating & RelationshipsRobotsSex TechVirtual Sex

    Sexuality Experts Speculate on the Future of Love and Desire

    May 6, 2024
    By M. Christian

  • VylyV's smart "sex shorts" help men strengthen their pelvic floor muscles.
    Augmentation

    The Right Trousers: Pants Promise Enhanced Male Sexual Performance

  • Virtual Sex & EntertainmentImmersive Entertainment

    Couples Who Share Their Pornography Viewing Habits Have Better Relationships: Study

  • Sex Tech

    Italy’s ChatGPT Ban and Unban Emphasizes the Importance of AI Consent

Virtual Lust is a 3D interactive sex game.
3DXChat
Discover the best virtual sex parties and 3D sex worlds.
  • TOP REVIEWS

  • Realistic Sex Games

    Review of the Best Sex Games and Most Realistic Sex Simulators [UPDATED]

    0
  • Screenshot of a sexbot from adult entertainment game

    The Best Adult Games on Steam [UPDATED]

  • Screenshot of FeelConnect app future of interactivity intimacy available on Apple and Google Store

    The Best Sex Game Apps for Couples [UPDATED]

  • Project QT is the most popular RPG sex game at hentai sex game portal Nutaku.

    The Best RPG Sex Games [UPDATED]

  • Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    Review of the Best Massively Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    0
Fantasy sex game Dream Sex World lets you explore your wildest desires.
Multiplayer sex world Red Light Center continues to impress with its massive userbase and incredible sex graphics.
A blonde and light-skinned love doll face sppears next to the text Go now realdollxthe future is real.

Like Us on Facebook

Newsletter Subscription

Sign up for our monthly newsletter sharing the very best of the future of sex from our publication and others across the web.

DreamSexWorld offers a stunning XXX 3D world filled with incredibly interactive erotic experiences.

Like Us On Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

RLC_ad_v2

Tweets by @FutureofSex
Future of Sex Report

Follow us

  • Home
  • About
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contribute
  • Story Ideas
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2011 - 2022 Future Exploration Network
This website or its third-party tools use cookies to improve user experience and track affiliate sales. To learn more about why we need to use cookies, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

By clicking the agree button or continuing to browse through the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT