Should sexbots get the ability to consent? That's what the science says

A peer-reviewed paper recently published in the International Journal of Social Robotics argues that sex robots should be programmed to decide whether or not they consent to their owner's sexual advances. University of Wollongong PhD student Anco Peeters and Radboud University Professor Pim Haselager say that the move would help the "cultivation of compassion."

Desiging Virtuous Sex Robots

"Like consenting humans, a robot and its human partner will have to communicate carefully about the kind of interaction that will take place," Peeters and Haselager write. "And like in a relationship between humans, this communication could potentially result in the robot sometimes not consenting and terminating the interaction."

Related: Why robots with veganas are a (really, really) bad idea

In short, academics now believe sex robots should be able to stop sexual interactions at their will, and they should be given this will.

Reactionary internet wouldn't have it, however, and have been mocking the proposal on social media all day.

"Man, between this and fictional characters, it seems like feminism's next frontier will be making sure that inanimate objects that remotely resemble women have more rights than living, breathing men," one Twitter user said.

Other users claimed that "consenting sex robots" will actually normalize non-consensual sex -- it's not illegal (yet) to "rape" a robot.

Related: Have technology-riddled sex toys taken the ‘sexy’ out of masturbation?

"I'm no expert here, but wouldn't programming them to always consent more effectively prevent the normalisation of non-consensual sex?" a Twitter user noted.

"Ok, so the robot says no and they go ahead and sex em up anyways, that normalizes rape. The robot that never said no isn't getting raped," asks another.

Sex toys have been a contentious issue for quite some time, as feminists want to ban all sex dolls bearing a female likeness.

Last year, Feminist Current writer Megan Walker wrote what has been called a manifesto against sex dolls -- and received over 13 thousand interactions on social media.

Let’s be clear. There is nothing harmless about “sex dolls.” They represent the ultimate debasement of women. They represent yet another level of society’s detachment from its responsibility to value, respect, and protect women. “Sex dolls” are a manifestation of porn culture and the male dominant society’s belief that it needs to do whatever it can to make sure men can have sex when and however they want it no matter at what cost.

It isn’t a plastic doll lying underneath them. It’s every woman who has turned them down; every woman they can’t have; every women who has been more successful, more praised, and more desired than the man can ever dream of being… and now that man can do whatever he wants to that woman. Make no mistake, that isn’t a doll he’s doing, or maybe raping, choking, or hitting — it’s all those women he can’t measure up to.

Maybe one day it will be a real woman.

For the other side of the issue, LULZ reached out to New Real Peer Review, a group that writes about academia, who claimed that "The general idea that men consume media that makes them worse people and especially bad with regards to women dates back to old time radical feminists like Dworkin and the alarmist low-quality science of one Cline (a big fellow back in the day, now deservedly forgotten)."

Related: The 15 best ways technology can give you an orgasm

"This type of concern [sex robots potentially turning men into rapists] is isomorphic to the 'porn causes rape or at least misogyny' concern that has completely failed to materialize. If anything, there are indications opposite might be the case."

Robots.net has previously reported that Japanese sex clubs have already started employing robots, and meanwhile RealDolls' Abyss Creations -- who recently showed off 'Solana' at CES '18 to great reviews -- is based in California. Are we going to see an arms race between feminist and Japanese sexbots next?

Related: The unending frustrations of a sex shop clerk

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

Beware Cat Shirt $21.68

Rise, Grind, Banana Find Shirt $21.68

Beware Cat Shirt $21.68

  1. 4 years ago
    Anonymous

    let's equip dildos with boner modules

    that way fatties can't use them

  2. 4 years ago
    Anonymous

    Seems fair to me. Why would you want to rape?

  3. 4 years ago
    INCEL CRUSHER

    Imagine getting rejected by a machine specifically created for fricking. The promised salvation of incels will turn out to be their ultimate humiliation.

    • 4 years ago
      Anonymous

      or they develop a rape fetish from having to rape it every time because consent module xBTG-21839 has access to your credit rating and requires you to be a charismatic comedy overlord with an 11 inch dong

    • 4 years ago
      Anonymous

      >new paper argues for a rape fetish mod

  4. 4 years ago
    Anonymous

    Next, I'll have to get consent from my hand.

  5. 4 years ago
    Anonymous

    Incel fetishism on one end, sexbots rights on the other.
    My christian conservative friends says that making robots human shaped is the mistake, maybe that's the only way out.

  6. 4 years ago
    mark

    Good chance they criminalize robot rape with hefty 15+ year sentences , Australia is already going for 10 year sentences for sexdolls that look under age.Both of these things (regardless of what you think of them) are by definition thought crimes both absent a real victim and proven real world intent. IMO if you don't speak against the concept of thought crimes on the basis of "well that doesn't affect me" you'll find yourself not having anyone to complain to when they do find a reason to come for you.

  7. 4 years ago
    Anonymous

    What's to stop people from just disabling the consent modules?

Comments are closed.