When people crossed the line between the 20th and 21st centuries, few people, except for specialists, knew how much new technologies will change our lives. The Internet and the first social network were just at the stage of development and began to show people new opportunities. Twenty years later, people cannot imagine their lives without these platforms. The Internet has become a space for all kinds of activities. Doing business, politics, and even wars online became widespread.
The same has happened to such kinds of interpersonal relationships as dating, making sex, and even marriages. People meet each other in the network, they fall in love, seduce each other, date, make intimate connections, and even marry their online friends. Just 20 years of history made just an incredible jump to virtual reality. What should we expect from the rest of the century? Is it possible that people will date with robots and humanoids, marry with their favorite love dolls, and raise artificial children in a couple with AI? To answer this question, let’s have a look at what is already happening in the sphere of intimacy.
When several flows of energy interact, mix, unite, distance, and unite again, it is known as sexual relationships in human life. The composition of this dance of sexual energies could be different: women, men, trans, and other knowable and unknown subjects can be players in this sexual game.
The same happens with the development of new technologies. Two or more different technologies once meet each other and unite their thrust in a fiery desire to connect. In terms of the sex industry, this happens quite often. Here are some scenarios that are already happening today.
Real sex dolls have existed from time immemorial. As technology developed, they became more and more perfect and sophisticated, approaching human semblance.
Work with Artificial Intelligence brought its fruits, which were actively used in all spheres of life. The sex industry has also seen the potential of using artificial intelligence to create a virtual sex partner. Ultimately, sex is diverse, and if AI can provoke and satisfy people’s desires, why not put it to the service?
Someday, they were supposed to meet — sex dolls and artificial intelligence. And this meeting has already happened.
The newborn sex doll with AI is only making its first, not pretty confident steps to the human reality. However, like a small child that clings to someone to awkwardly take the first step today, it will confidently run to our human world tomorrow.
Of course, there are multiple critics of sex robots. Public opinion of Western societies is not ready yet to accept sex dolls as a part of everyday life. Contemporary societies tolerate prostitution and red-light districts, but they are not ready to accept humanoid sex services. Still, unconventional forms of love reclaim their space. Just several years ago, a public brothel with sex dolls in Spain was closed on demand of authorities. In a couple of months, it was open again with legal permission. A year after, similar brothels were opened in Italy and other countries.
In this regard, public opinion has something of a double standard. Mankind has used to admire marvelous nude statues of the period of Ancient Greece and Rome, the Renaissance, and beyond. But people are not ready to see these statues come to life, talking, smiling, and inviting to sex.
Possibly, the transition to the acceptance of unusual forms of love will be as long as recognition of the rights of sexual minorities was. On the contrary, it can be as rapid as the spread of the Internet and social media. Let’s wait and see how love forms change.