Sex Tech Predictions for 2022: Recap of Cross-industry Trends
What experts expect from technology and sex in the future.
As part of our ongoing Future of Sex Expert series, we sought out entrepreneurs, academics, and insiders, to learn what they expect is in store for sex tech in 2022.
Responses touched on numerous themes, including censorship, erotic robotics, and pleasure for diverse bodies—just to name a few.
Since many more experts participated compared to last year, we’ve compiled all 2022 sex tech predictions below for easy browsing.
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Future of Sex Experts – Compiled Responses by Topic
Will 2022 Be the Year of the Penis for Sex Tech?
The adult entertainment and retail industries have long had a reputation for being phallocentric. In other words, focused mainly on pleasing the penis and men. This is not simply for catering to cis-male fantasies in pornography, but for repetitive imagery of erect penises (or objects that look like them.)
In fact, as more female-led and gender-neutral brands hit the market in the late 2010s, sex toys have become less phallocentric—and better able to pleasure vulva owners looking for something more. Read more.
Experts:
- Patricia López Trabajo, Founder and CEO of MYHIXEL
- Luna Matatas, Lovehoney Canada’s sex and pleasure educator
- Sylwia Wiesenberg, founder and CEO of BAWDY Beauty, a ‘butt-obsessed’ sexual wellness brand
- Taylor Sparks, Erotic Educator and Founder of Organic Loven organic intimacy shops
- Isabelle Uren, sex expert at Bedbible
What Role Will Sexuality Play in the Future of the Metaverse?
The word metaverse was coined by science-fiction writer Neal Stephenson. It first appeared in his 1992 novel Snow Crash to describe a three-dimensional virtual space in which people interact with each other in avatar form. (In fact, “avatar” is another term Stephenson invented.)
Today, the metaverse is envisioned as the next stage of the Internet. Instead of sitting at your computer or scrolling on your phone, immersive technologies will create hyperrealistic digital universes we can seamlessly integrate with and navigate. Read more.
Experts:
- Angelina Aleksandrovich, Founder, CEO and Creative Director of RD Land, a multi-sensory virtual event platform
- Kyle Farwell, Co-founder of VRLFP (Virtual Reality Looking for Partner)
- Lawrence Johnson, Co-founder and CEO of Pure for Men, a wellness brand founded by and designed for gay men
- Bobbi Bidochka, Co-chair of Academic Congress on Love and Sex with Robots and author of Sexual Intelligence in Business
Emotion and Tech Will Shape How People Consume Adult Content
Before the Internet came along and made adult content easily accessible, going into a store to buy erotica was the norm.
Sure, fast download speeds and a near-infinite supply of diverse content are great perks of online pornography. Not having to face a cashier or other shoppers has obvious benefits as well, especially if you are shy. Read more.
Experts:
- Giada Armani, Founder and CEO of erotic audio publisher Berlinable
- Thomas N. CEO and founder of nextgenporn.net
- Dr. Valerie Poppel, Clinical Sexologist and Co-founder of The Swann Center
- Peter Williams, the CEO of VR web platform Dreamcam [NSFW]
- Nils Lataillade and Marco Garniga, founders of adult cryptocurrency platform Pokmi
Our Sex lives and Sex Tech Supply in COVID-era 2022
We already know our lives have changed since the pandemic hit in 2020. Two years later, we’re still living in a socially distanced world, one that’s seriously affected the way we connect intimately with others and ourselves.
As part of our ongoing Future of Sex Expert Series, we reached out to academics and CEOs from leading pleasure product companies. Read more.
Experts:
- Ken Herskovitz, CEO Vibratex and the Magic Wand brand
- Suki Dunham, Founder & CEO of OhMiBod
- Joe Vela, Co-founder and CEO of pleasure-tech brand Emojibator
- Ola Miedzynska, Founder and CEO of Sx Tech Eu
- Elsa Viegas, Designer and Co-founder of Barcelona-based Bijoux Indiscrets
- Kenneth R. Hanson, sociologist and sex tech researcher at the University of Oregon
- Dr. Valerie Poppel, Clinical Sexologist and Co-founder of The Swann Center
- Peter Ovsonka, President and CEO of pleasure tech brand ZALO USA
Sex Work in 2022: OnlyFans Alternatives and Virtual Cam Models
The availability of adult content online was no secret two years ago.
Since we’ve socially distanced and relied more on the Internet for entertainment, however, adult content creator platforms like OnlyFans grew in popularity, putting sex workers and financial discrimination in the spotlight.
To gain more insight on digital sex work and the adult industry in 2022, we spoke to entrepreneurs and academics. Their answers below are part of our Future of Sex Expert Series, Read more.
Experts:
- Ela Darling, VR porn technology pioneer and award-winning adult star
- Tina Horn, writer of SfSx: Terms of Service
- Courtney Kocak, Co-founder and Co-host of the podcast Private Parts Unknown
- Kenneth R. Hanson, sociologist and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Oregon
‘Sexual Wellness’ Shifts Focus from Pleasure Tech to Sexual Health
A common theme among responses is a focus on the sexual wellness market.
While I included the term “sex tech” in the question, many responses notably didn’t include the phrase in their responses. This included Unbound CEO Polly Rodriguez (quoted below), who is largely responsible for popularizing the term in mainstream media, along with The Women of Sex Tech Co-founder Lidia Bonilla and Bryony Cole of Sextech School. Read more.
Experts:
- Daniel Saynt, Founder and Chief Conspirator of The New Society for Wellness (NSFW), a sex and cannabis-friendly private members club in NYC
- Rachel Braun Scherl, Co-Host of Business of the V Podcast and Managing Partner & Co-Founder SPARK Solutions for Growth
- Gary Ayckbourn, CEO of Concept to Consumer Collective
- Polly Rodriguez, Unbound CEO, on sexual wellness as part of the beauty vertical in mainstream retail
- Bobbi Bidochka, Co-Chair, Academic Congress on Love and Sex with Robots and Author of Sexual Intelligence in Business
- Suki Dunham, Co-founder & CEO of OhMiBod
- Lilly Sparks, Founder and CEO of afterglow, a porn-inclusive sex resource
- Ola Miedzynska, CEO and Founder of SxTech EU
Sex Robots and Artificial Intelligence in 2022
One of my favorite topics to cover is sex robots and robot companions. The ways humans develop and use technologies reveals our deepest needs and desires, some of which may be hidden even from ourselves.
Sexual robotics converges with several fields, including machine learning, virtual reality, and Bluetooth sex toys. Although today’s animatronic sex dolls are a far cry from what we see in sci-fi fantasies, that hasn’t stopped humans in our quest to improve our sex lives with technology. Read more.
Experts:
- Kenneth Play is an International Educator and Sex Hacker
- Dr. Markie L. C. Twist, Ph.D., LMFT., LMHC., CSE., Teaching Faculty, Antioch University New England, Applied Psychology Program
- Tina Horn, writer of SfSx: Terms of Service
- Bobbi Bidochka, Co-Chair, Academic Congress on Love and Sex with Robots
- Natasha Marie Head of Content at MysteryVibe
Sex Tech CEOs on Pushing Back Against Big Tech and Sexual Censorship
Sex tech entrepreneurs need to be particularly creative and resilient.
Many face banks and payment processors refusing to work with them or freezing funds without clear and consistent reasoning. Social media platforms often employ similarly hazy and haphazard rules against adult-related content, cutting off access to consumers and advertising opportunities. Read more.
Experts:
- Stephen Quaderer, CEO of ThotExperiment and Creator of Headero app
- Shakun Sethi, CEO and Founder of Tickle.Life
- Giada Armani, Founder and CEO of erotic audio publisher Berlinable
- Polly Rodriguez, CEO of Founder of Unbound
- Dan Liu, Lovense CEO
Sex Tech in 2022: Pleasure for Diverse Bodies and Genders
Over the past five years, there’s been a steady rise in pleasure products and accessories for diverse bodies. Among them are gender-neutral sex toys, assistive sex aids, and larger sizing options.
What can we expect from sex tech in 2022? Inclusivity in sex tech, according to many of experts, is here to stay. Read more.
Experts:
- Luna Matatas, Lovehoney Canada’s sex and pleasure educator
- Taylor Sparks, Erotic Educator and Founder of Organic Loven organic intimacy shops
- Gerhard Poppel, Clinical Sexologist and Co-founder of The Swann Center
- Natasha Marie, Head of Content at MysteryVibe
- Dr. Alexandra James, Sociologist and Research Officer at the Australian Research Centre for Sex, La Trobe University
Future of Sex Experts – Essays
Digital Therapy, Menopause, and Sex Supplements Trend Up in Sexual Wellness
By Dominnique Karetsos, CEO of The Healthy Pleasure Group
“Menopause is fast becoming an accessible and acceptable topic of discussion, as a glut of brands have begun creating products that attempt to address menopausal symptoms.
“However, there’s a lack of education around why someone would need to use any of these products. Brands can’t simply slap on a menopause label; they have to solve unmet needs with honest solutions.
“If a brand offers you 20+ products to consume in one day to target the symptoms of menopause, it’s not necessary nor is it sustainable. While trying to normalise conversations around menopause, what brands are actually doing is scaremongering women into thinking they will need hundreds of products when entering this stage of their lives.” Read more.
Mindful Sexuality and Audio Apps Are Just Getting Started in Health Niche
By Ola Miedzynska
“There are plenty of pleasure products on the market, but still too few that empower us to understand and explore our sexuality. Satisfying and mindful sex starts well before purchasing a sex toy; it starts with our mentality, setting, and environment.
“The silver lining to the pandemic has been a shift in priorities involving emphasis on sexual health and wellness. When the world stopped for a brief moment, people seized the opportunity to align with their sexual needs, desires, and fantasies, perhaps for the first time.”Read more.
2022: A Call to Action for Sex Tech Industry Leaders
By Kenneth R. Hanson
“The obvious looming issue affecting us all is the COVID-19 pandemic, and its continued impact on health, the economy, travel, and politics, each of which plays a role in the development of sex tech and continuance of economic inequality.
Research by Balazs Kovacs and colleagues shows that people who entered the pandemic with “fewer than five very close friends” were more likely to report significant increases in loneliness.” Read more.
Sustainable Sextech in the Face of Climate Change, Data Scandals
By Natasha Marie
“Since the pandemic, the sexual health and wellness conversation has garnered a lot of (much needed) attention and galvanized movement from investors, consumers, and companies alike. The importance of data privacy and security gained steady traction in 2021 and will continue to into 2022.
“The Cambridge Analytica scandal, among others, has bred massive consumer distrust towards corporations and companies. With the application of wirelessly technology in sex toys and advancements in teledildonics and haptic technology, sextech companies will be under scrutiny…” Read more.
The Ongoing Pursuit of Pleasure and Social Change in Sextech
By Dr. Alexandra James
“Historically, this involved repurposing the VCR and handheld camera for enjoyment in the bedroom and creation of amateur porn. But today, and into the future, this may involve the incorporation of artificial intelligence and personalised, algorithmically driven options, into existing sex toys.
“However, there are shifts emerging in the sextech space that extend beyond technology, and involve a focus on social change and transformation. Sextech emerges in a confluence of both social and technological conditions and, in talking about the future, we cannot neglect the social aspects of sextech.” Read more.
Lovense CEO Calls on Major Sex Toy Companies to Form Advocacy Group
By Dan Liu
“In terms of products, we expect more integrations of smart sex toys with other high-tech industries. It is definitely worth waiting for more new projects that integrate sex toys with multimedia, gaming, VR and AR content. Recent projects like our collaborations with 3DXChat [NSFW] and WildLife have aroused great interest from the gaming community.
“In addition, we notice a trend in the convergence of the health and wellness industry with sex tech. Interesting ideas and solutions in this direction are gradually beginning to appear.” Read more.
Sex Tech Trends from 2021 That Will Stick Around and Develop Next Year
By Isabelle Uren
“Sex tech has come such a long way in a short space of time, so looking into the crystal ball, it’s hard to know where we’ll be at the end of 2022, but there are some trends I think will continue to develop.
“We’ve already seen sexual pleasure become incorporated into the wellness industry and embraced as a healthy part of self-care. I think this will continue with the development of sex tech to track and treat sex-related health concerns. I also think we’ll see more sex tech that helps us better understand our arousal and pleasure responses and teaches us techniques to improve our sex lives.” Read more.
Beauty Will Blend Even More into the Sexual Wellness Industry
By Polly Rodriguez
“With the recent passing of ISO 3533, I think the majority of the industry is genuinely excited to see formalized standards when it comes to vibrator, dildo, and insertable products’ materials and manufacturing processes.
“Having this standard is an amazing first step that will continue to hold manufactures and retailers accountable when making claims around body-safe materials. Now that the ISO standard is instituted, I’m hopeful that brands will continue to do the work of educating consumers on the vital importance of using body-safe materials.” Read more.
Sex Tech Buzzwords and Shifting Sexual Wellness Trends in 2022
By Bobbi Bidochka
“It has been well established that the COVID-19 pandemic was instrumental in highlighting the importance of sexual health and wellness, as sex toys and sex-related products sales soared in 2020 and 2021.
“According to Forbes, “the sector is widely predicted to be worth $122 billion by 2024, and a 13 percent CAGR, investors agree there are huge business opportunities to be found in sex tech and sexual wellness.” This trend will indeed continue.” Read more.
Digisexual Identity Will Grow, Yet How Fast Likely Depends on Supply Chain
By Dr. Markie L. C. Twist
“I think we will continue to see digisexual engagement. I think that synthetic companions (or what is more popularly, and outside of the community, frequently referred to as “sex dolls”) will continue to be purchased and used for both digiattachment (digital attachment) and digisexuality purposes.
“I think that the synthetic companions will continue to have more advanced artificial intelligence (AI), but will still lag in terms of the hardware component—meaning, their “skin” is typically silicone-based, which easily tears and I don’t believe this will be amended in the coming year
We may see more variety in synthetic companions in the next year, but I don’t think there will be huge changes in options yet.” Read more.
