Uncategorized: love and sex with robots

Once upon a time, the Earth was thought the be flat. Here’s another prediction: By the year 2050 your lover may be a robot. Romantic human and robot relationships is no longer the stuff of science fiction – researchers expect them to become reality within four decades. Author of the book Love and Sex With Robots, David Levy predicts a time where robots will also have emotions, personalities and consciousness. The robots will be able to talk, laugh and look remarkably like humans. And someday, people will have sex with robots. Not cold and mechanical sex but the loving and sensual type. To put the reader at ease with this, Levy compares the phenomenon to the ways in which humans fall in love with each other, their pets, cars and clothing. From there, Levy argues, it is a short emotional step to the affection people can be expected to display towards robots. Sounds weird doesn’t it? But Levy’s predictions aren’t as silly (or creepy) as they sound. The Japanese have a multi-billion dollar robot industry, which include robots that look after the elderly. Sony also invented a robot dog and Carnegie-Mellon University invented Grace, a robot that managed to register herself at the conference she was exhibited at. Meanwhile researchers are experimenting with different materials to be used as artificial skin. Levy also acknowledges that these technical changes will have to be complemented by cultural changes so that flirting with a robot wouldn’t seem weird (obviously). The year 2050 is so far away – just think what wasn’t invented 40 years ago. While Levy’s topic is not for everyone, this book would appeal to people pondering the future. So does this mean instead of a marriage certificate you might get a 5-year guarantee?