Digital Love

Digital Love – Where will the new age of robots take us and are we really prepared for it?

I recently read an article about a new kind of “sex doll” that was making waves in the adult market. Static sex aids like blow-up dolls are nothing new but the “Harmony” doll from Abyss Creations is a completely different proposition.

Harmony has the unique ability to move and talk, something that has helped take the development of robotics for intimate pleasure to another level. The movements might be crude and the language rudimentary but this represents another significant step in the inevitable march of technology because it invades one of the most intimate areas of human existence.

If we can invite A.I. into the bedroom then is anywhere safe?

Creations like Harmony are at the forefront of the robotics revolution that is seeking to advance artificial intelligence into a realistic, human-like body. One popular school of thought suggests that this approach will help to revolutionise the way we interact with robots but there is also the other side of the argument that warns we could be helping to foster an attitude towards intimacy – and women in particular – that dehumanises the experience.

It may have taken years to get us to where we are now but you can be sure the next developments will take a fraction of the time in comparison and the developments after that even less. Is it too fantastic to suggest that we will see a fully walking, talking robotic alternative to a human partner within the next ten years, driven by the same intelligence that currently operates the likes of Alexa and Google Home?

There is no question that the time is coming when for many people, a robotic partner will seem completely normal. And is it likely to stop with just a companion. Could we start to extend the concept to children and pets?

One of the principal points to a robot partner is the ability to fill an emotional hole in the lives of certain people who may not be able to connect with other humans. So what about couples who might want a child but are unable – for whatever reason – to have one? Could the ability to “adopt” a robot child be a feasible option?

Anyone who has ever lost a pet will know just how painful that experience can be. What if your pet was a robot that never aged, was easily upgradeable and could outlive you?

The possibilities are endless but the potential risks should also not be ignored. The more intelligent these robots become the more of a threat to our existence they become.

There are many who think that the worst species of life on this planet is man. We rape and devour the natural resources and consume more that we put back in. How long before the A.I. we create comes to realise that? How long before robots calculate that a planet without humans is better than one with us in it?

Elon Musk’s recent warning about A.I. one day destroying us all if we don’t regulate the technology suddenly doesn’t seem so extreme.

Ben Whittaker