Following the exploitation of an Artificial Intelligence sex doll at a global tech fair last week, debate has spurred over Europe’s growing investment towards the AI sex industry.
The creator behind the doll, Sergi Santos, told the Metro, “the people mounted Samantha’s breasts, her legs and arms. Two fingers were broken and she was heavily soiled,” whilst on display at this year’s Arts Electronica Festivalin Linz, Austria.
Artificial Intelligence was a focal point at the event. Amongst attendees were owners of leading sex doll agency Lumidolls, which opened the first European sex doll brothel in Barcelona earlier this year.
The agency has recently announcedits plans to expand their services from Spain to the UK after copious success this year.
Cybernetics and Robotics researcherat Coventry University, Kevin Warwick, said that alongside the AI biomedical industry the AI sex industry is potentially one of the main areas for future AI investment.
“There are a number of gateways for the introduction of AI technology into public markets,” said Warwick.
“In the sex area where people are willing to pay the money, often the cost of the software and hardware is not that great, so it’s really a toe in the water as far as where the market will stand,” he said.
“Then that [money] can be used to improve the product and make more money and so on.”
With an AI sex doll roughly sitting between €4,000 and €16,000 each, one begs the question of where the market demand arises.
Expert in psychosexual medicine, Dr Leila Frodsham says one of the major reasons for demand could stem from established pornography addictions.
“The real problem at the moment is addiction to pornography. They [men] are so addicted to porn that they can’t actually manage to have sex with real women,” said Dr Frodsham.
“Perhaps the combination of the sex dolls and porn will maybe be even more addictive, but it may even be that it’s easier to transition into having sex if you’re having sex with a sex doll rather than your hand,” she said.
The Foundation of Responsible Robotics released a report earlier this year titled Our Sexual Future With Robotsaimed at examining social opinions over the benefits and risks of AI sex dolls.
The report included multiple surveys asking participants in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands if they would consider purchasing or using the dolls.
The results indicated room for a market mostly aimed at men and showed only a small fraction of participants who were concerned with negative social consequences.
One poll included 1,162 Dutch individuals and found that only 13 per cent of participants thought the AI sex dolls would “change social norms and values.”
According to Dr Frodsham, most concerns associated with AI sex dolls are only an extension of the negative consequences that result from online pornography.
Expansion of the AI sex industry within the EU is more likely to depend on social interests towards robotic companionship and “some therapeutic benefits that will give people a bridge from porn addiction towards real sex,” she said.
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