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“Love + Sex With Robots”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here at The Book Page, we never run out of intellectual fodder. Particularly when it’s about sex. Today it’s David Levy’s new book, “Love + Sex With Robots,” in which he asserts that in 30 to 40 years, robots will be so believably human that people will have sex with them and fall in love with them.
This has been a favorite topic of science fiction for years - Philip K. Dick’s classic novel “Blade Runner” comes to mind — but Levy insists we’re getting closer to making it real. If you’ve seen some of the cutting-edge robots being developed in Japan, you know that this is not as ridiculous as skeptics might think.
Levy is an expert on artificial intelligence and computers, but he comes across a little strange. He went on “The Colbert Report,” which was quite brave of him, and Colbert had some fun at his expense. You can see a clip here.
I’m no Luddite, but I have to say I shudder to contemplate a society where men can have as much sex as they want with an artificial partner who looks like Angelina Jolie and never says no. Such a product would make crack look like Doritos. I think the love thing is going to be a lot more of a problem, but if science can create a boinkable android, a lot of guys are gonna order one from Amazon and never do anything else in their life.
Am I right about men? And is there a female equivalent, that if women can buy a guy who will do the dishes, pick up his underwear and put down the toilet seat, they won’t want a husband?
Is the motto of the future going to be Once You Go Bot, You Never Go Back?
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By Kate
January 31, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this
First ferret sex and now a “boinkable adroid.” I’m a little afraid of what you might come up with next week.
By Jeff
January 31, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
Other than the fact that a robot couldn’t fulfill the basic human desire to procreate, you may be correct.
Of course, it could also be argued that no matter how advanced the AI, a robot will NEVER be able to truly FEEL emotion. Sure, with sufficiently advanced AI, it can be programmed pretty accurately to pick up on what a human is feeling and respond appropriately. But I think after a while the human would have a void from the fact that the robot doesn’t actually FEEL emotion.
Of course, there are HUMANS that almost bridge the gap between computer-type logic based responses and human-type emotion based responses - and sometimes you even get the feeling that these humans could actually BE robots. But even these humans feel SOME emotion at SOME points…
By Lily Toad
January 31, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this
Hmmmm…what I look for in a mate is compatibility of interests. Can I download a book to my Bottie and it’ll be able to discuss it with me? Can it watch the presidential debates and discuss who seems most palatable (the most I can hope for these days)?
By Harold
January 31, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this
Harold thinks that sounds pretty good but what is he gonna do for the other 28 minutes before the pizza gets here? Har har har! If you are one of these dudes who would seriously buy a farkbok, please post your resume at http://www.my.computerjobs.com/userlogin.aspx?_panel=1&mkt=t3 because I.T. employers are looking for people like you!
By SP
January 31, 2008 3:27 PM | Link to this
As long as it had a beer and remote holder on top of its head, and an MP3 player built in- I’d buy one. Probably wouldn’t leave the house for awhile. My wife probably would, though.
By Nibroc
January 31, 2008 3:42 PM | Link to this
Women already have something like this … they’re called vibrators, or massage stick for you PC folks.
By sammy miller
January 31, 2008 3:49 PM | Link to this
Where do I sign up, I can’t wait!
By Belinda
January 31, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this
I love it.
By Tamika
January 31, 2008 3:54 PM | Link to this
What and Exciting time to be alive— I gonna have sex with r2d2
By Kate
January 31, 2008 4:03 PM | Link to this
Hey Phil! This blog just got a mention on Dave FM. You have arrived!
I’m going to order a robot that can cook and give good foot massages. And wants nothing in return.
By Phil Kloer
January 31, 2008 4:12 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the heads up, Kate, but I had arrived already back when Dave FM was still Z 93!
By Kate
January 31, 2008 4:17 PM | Link to this
Gawd, how old are you anyway?
By Kate
January 31, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this
Heh. Didn’t mean to steer the conversation away from your beloved BA.
By Antonio
January 31, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
As long as it doesn’t nag or run up my CC’s…I’ll buy one! I can even take her to work with me for a nooner…Life will be GOOD!
By Erin
January 31, 2008 11:21 PM | Link to this
Gosh, how enlightened to think that women would go not for a robot who could please them sexually but one that would do the dishes! Its all that a girl could ever ask for. Sigh.
By Jiji
February 1, 2008 1:28 AM | Link to this
Phil, getting men to do the housework is not an issue - it’s never been one for me anyway. Finding an intellectual & emotional equal among them is, especially if you’re a woman who (gasp, grin) also expects to get properly entertained in bed. (Read quality + durability as opposed to short periods of more of the same, even if it does get delivered more than once a day.)
As far as I’m concerned, an android could theoretically deliver on the intellectual and sexual fronts - presumably when I get bored because I’ve outgrown his routines, I’d be able to order upgrades in either area. It’s also nice to hope I’d be able to change his “skins”, you know? Make him look like a different guy when I get bored with the looks too :D
So that’s the plus side. The minus one is I’m not so sure they’ll do a tolerable job in the “realistic emotions” dept. If they claim they could, I’m definitely going to be among the beta testers. If I’m satisfied, great. If not, well, there’s nothing wrong with owning a state of the art vibrator :D
By Jeff
February 1, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this
I think I found a way around the ‘procreation’ issue that would still keep a guy in the picture….
Husband has an android, uses it to produce a semen sample. female android uploads semen sample into male android. Wife does her thing with her android.
Takes much of the fun out of being married, but such a solution outside of marraige could prove… interesting… for those that don’t mind living on the wild side and want a baby without needing to know anything about the father…
By Lorlie Lee
February 12, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this
Philip K Dick did NOT write Blade Runner. He wrote a short story called “Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep” which was LOOSELY adapted into a movie called “Blade Runner”.