Sign of the Times: SEX WITH ROBOTS

[Bethany Rockafella]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5414105.html

Jan. 2, 2008, 7:23AM
CARNAL KNOWLEDGE
Programmed for love
Author sees hard-wired sex in the future - and apparently it's all good - especially if you like robots

By FRITZ LANHAM
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Love + Sex With Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships

By David Levy

If you're younger than 35, you'll probably live long enough to put David Levy's prediction to the test. Levy says that by 2050 we'll be creating robots so lifelike, so imbued with human-seeming intelligence and emotions, as to be nearly indistinguishable from real people. And we'll have sex with these robots. Some of us will even marry them. And it will all be good.

Levy lays out his vision of a Brave New Carnal World in Love and Sex With Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships, which, despite its extended riffs on sex toys through the ages, is a snigger-free book. Levy's no Al Goldstein. Rather he's a 62-year-old British chess master turned artificial-intelligence expert persuaded that robot sex can brighten the lives of many, many unhappy people. "Great sex on tap for everyone, 24/7,'' he writes on the final page of the book. What's not to like?

"Chess'' and "sex'' aren't words that normally share the same sentence, but in Levy's case, the one led to the other. A keen chessman since boyhood, by the time he got to St. Andrews University he played at the international level. At the university he got interested in computers and the challenge of programming machines to play chess. Eventually he earned international recognition for his work on chess-playing computers and natural-language software, and in the mid '90s headed a team that won the Loebner Prize, widely regarded as the world championship of conversational software. Today he owns a firm that develops electronic hand-held brain games.

Designing computers that talk like humans naturally led to the larger question of how humans interact with robots, which are nothing more than computers with arms and legs and a head. The Japanese have taken the lead in developing "partner robots,'' machines that, for example, might do household tasks for elderly people. But if you could invent a robot that serves cocktails, could you not invent a robot that would make a superior bedmate?

[CatWoman]

1. how does one explain an artificial orgasm?

:)

[spanone]

8. how do you fake a fake orgasm? paradox

[CatWoman]

11. hey -- no fair!!!!

:)

[Xipe Totec]

13. Would that be a cyborgasm?

[helderheid]

30. badum ching!

[Richard Steele]

45. WARNING! Extremely graphic XXX photo:

[catnhatnh]

51. Yep....

Looks like the provocative "Boxter" engine...

[Kurovski]

52. Holy shit, but that is hot, dicksteele!

Between the image and your name, I'm primed, programmed, and ready for a download.

[Xipe Totec]

61. Oh, my!

Circuits exposed and everything!

[Richard Steele]

77. And did you notice the "for public use. feel free to distribute" line? What a slut! nm

[catnhatnh]

49. What? Without referring to my 2nd Wife??? N/T

[Didereaux]

79. What? Are you the one that got my 1st? heheheh

[SoCalDem]

94. robot says ..meep.meep..meep.. instead of bzzt bzzt , zort

:shrug:

[FormerDittoHead]

2. Yeah. You have to be a Phd to see that one coming... n/t

[griffi94]

6. you spelled coming wrong =)

[debbierlus]

3. Oh man. That is weird.

A little to much for me.

[redqueen]

4. But honey, it's not cheating if it's with a robot!

[book_worm]

there's hope for freepers after all.

[Richard Steele]

17. What, you think there'll be robotic SHEEP as well? nm

[myrna minx]

67. Do electric sheep dream of freeper androids?

Apologies to to Philip K Dick.

[KansDem]

92. Nah, they'll never give up their inflatable dolls...

These robots will have computer "brains," after all...

Besides, freepers would never accept the taunts: I...though...you...were...a...real...stud *click*...I...had...more...fun...at...the...public...library...*click*...don't...call...me...again!

[EnviroBat]

5. You're Plookin Too Hard on Meeeeeee!

obscure Frank Zappa reference.

[Dhalgren]

19. Zircon encrusted tweezers...

Or my really favorite line:

"Open up you pocketbook
Take another quarter out
Pop it in the slot
And make my dreams come true tonight!"

[EnviroBat]

31. Just me and the pigmy pony,

over by the dennil-floss bush...

Hehehe, great stuff indeed.

[Dhalgren]

38. Man! I will have the old head-set out tonight!

"At St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast
Where I stole the margarine..."


:hippie:

B-)

:smoke:

:hi:

[EnviroBat]

82. Just don't widdle on the bingo cards...

:hi:

[Richard Steele]

44. My robot was lured away into sleazery by a man with a wrench in his pocket.

:cry:

[tandem5]

72. ah geez new meaning for hardware! nt

[Strawman]

87. It looks like a magical pig

With marital aids stuck all over it.

[helderheid]

7. Hoo boy. I'm sure the pillow talk will be interesting.

I'm uploading! I'm UPLOADING!!!

[helderheid]

66. is downloading better?

[YOY]

9. I think I saw a Futurama about this one

Something about Lucy Liu...

[CatWoman]

15. LOL

GOOD EPISODE :rofl:

[YOY]

20. Do YOU want to end up like Billy Everyteen?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uHD3RnRmZE&feature=related

[Kurovski]

41. Every boy needs a hobby.

[CatWoman]

48. i looked for that so that I could post it

good job!! :rofl:

[aquart]

10. Eh. Already saw it on TV.

Of course, there was this one computer convention where a robot stalked me and flirted...but I have always hoped it was just someone oddly shaped in a costume.

[ixion]

12. The movie 'Cherry 2000' dealt with this topic

of course, we've got a long way to go to develop bots as sexy as cherry. ;)

[slackmaster]

22. Also note that Pris in Blade Runner was a "basic pleasure model"

:D

[Yukari Yakumo]

28. And this has been rather cliche in Japanese anime for awhile. {nt}

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RobotGirl

[ixion]

29. true... and then there was Rachel as well

whom Rick fell for totally. :)

[slackmaster]

43. Of course Rick Deckard was likely a Replicant too

Egad.

[JackRiddler]

71. replicants are all flesh

clones, basically.

And of course Deckard was one. What happens to them after the doors to the elevator close? (Studio couldn't stand that, so they added in that ridiculous pristine forest escape.)

[Perry Logan]

59. If Pris was the basic pleasure model, what was the souped-up model like?

[Skidmore]

14. David Levy sounds as if he has a rich fantasy life, or as if

he's never been laid.

[Kurovski]

16. Masturbation is masturbation.

Just be sure to keep those sex toys clean, folks.

[helderheid]

23. :D

:thumbsup: :rofl:

[Kurovski]

33. K&R!

:D

[helderheid]

37. K&R!

:toast: :rofl:

[IDemo]

63. posted to wrong subthread, oops

[Mountainman]

18. Can we define a marriage as being between a man and a robot?

God created Adam and Eve not Adam and R2D2!

[SyntaxError]

21. hahahahahahha

awesome!

[YOY]

26. R2D2 and 3PO: Even worse: GAY ROBOTS!

Aw come on...like they weren't the cutest gay couple you've ever met?

[Kurovski]

36. And what's worse is...they have no say in the matter!

If some woman has a hankerin' to hump R2D2, what's to stop her?

Won't someone please think of the robots!?!! :cry:

[SyntaxError]

24. I'd buy one...

for the lulz, of course...

ahem... and the vibrating tongue.

[Mz Pip]

25. Reminds me of the Star Trek

episode when Lieutenant Yar asked Data what he's capable of and he responds that he is programmed in multiple techniques and she drags him off.

I guess the future is closer than we think. Though I suspect these would be quite expensive dildos.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[lame54]

27. Is this a sign up list?

[Chovexani]

32. Levy is about 30 years too late to this party

:shrug:

[gollygee]

34. Like Jude Law in AI

[whatdoyouthink]

35. I have a few Questions

One - Can they vote then? Because I suspect there already Here!!! 2000 and 2004 - would be a example

Two - Can you get arrested - if caught doing the Neighbors Robot...

Three - If they complain - get you "Unplug" them...Maybe get a refund?

Four - what kind of (Lube) oil would you use?

Five - Is there a test market (Now) kinda want to get a (know pun intended) Jump on it!!!? Don't need all the Bells and wistoals...and looks are not that important - after all in will be in the privacy of my home - (((Unless Big Brother is watching and wanting to know what is going on in my Love palace, or even those Fun dies - start protesting - stop Robot Stuff - jeez don't need that?)))

Six - Are they Replaceable? - and can I upgrade? say every 3 mo's - Kinda get bored easy - and want to be friendly to the envoriment..

Oh this is fun (2050)

[spanone]

39. ooooo

[Javaman]

95. And if they pass out, can I use jumper cables on them? nt

[NashVegas]

40. Other Studies Say We'll All Be Emotional Children In the Future

I guess robot sex is as good an indicator of that as any.

[Warpy]

42. They're called "Real Dolls" and they're already here

Oh, they're passive bed partners, but apparently feel lifelike enough for a lot of men who "date" them exclusively. BBCA had a special on the phenomenon some weeks ago that was alternately horrifying and hysterically funny. I was left with a sense of relief that these men have taken themselves off the market and given up life with another human being.

It's only a matter of time before they develop a model with a discreet cord to the wall, one that would be capable of enough body movement during "use" to please its partner immensely.

In any case, when not in use, they are posed attractively on a piece of furniture, put into the car to gaze adoringly at a partner involved in sport, or hung on a nail in a closet.

For some men, they're the perfect mate: passsive, voiceless, uncomplaining, completely vacant, and always ready to be "taken."

[Lint Head]

47. If these dolls could be programmed with mechanical

hydraulics embedded in a titanium skeleton surrounded by the Real Doll idea that would be an improvement to the mouse trap. :dem:

[TalkingDog]

76. Nah, too expensive. Here are plans to: Make Your Own Sex Doll

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
NSFW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRAPHIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hilariously Funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(or creepy and disturbing)

http://www.homemade-sex-toys.com/sexdoll/



My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[NorthernSpy]

89. OMG!

:rofl:

[RadiationTherapy]

93. But don't you think those kind of men and women

SHOULD be with a doll/robot sort of thing?

Could this lead to fewer cases of domestic violence and abuse??

[Occulus]

46. The Cylons were created by man

They evolved

They look and feel human

Some of them are programmed to think they are human

And they have a plan

[Fire Walk With Me]

50. Make the sex drive a non-issue and we'll begin getting somewhere.

[Richard Steele]

53. Until then, it's advisable to get an external sex drive for backups! nm

[Fire Walk With Me]

54. Until then, I'm into polygamy. RAID, baby.

[Richard Steele]

58. Pervert!

:rofl:

[Richard Steele]

88. Somewhere, there's a "daisy chain" joke waiting to be made...

...but I haven't come up with it yet! :evilfrown:

[Yuugal]

55. Will all govt sponsored recreational services

be clean and efficient? :)

[Liberal In Texas]

56. I'll bet it doesn't take until 2050...

there are lots of hormones brains out there working real hard on this problem right now!

[Dawggie]

57. I was married for 10 years.

Ask me anything about sex with robots.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

70. Is that like Frosty the Ex-Wife?

Or Frosty the Ex-Husband, possibly?

(Bad Christmas time joke)

[BlueIris]

73. Classy.

[CRF450]

60. 50 years from now, I bet our world is gonna be like Ghost In The Shell

As much as our technology is advancing I can easily see that coming true in the future.

[InternalDialogue]

62. So, there was this one time? In shop class?

[IDemo]

64. Will there be a Willy Widestance model? Let's include everyone, now..

[roamer65]

65. "I'd buy that for a dollar!!!"

To quote a famous sci-fi movie.

[Arugula Latte]

68. It's already happening. How else to explain Laura Bush?

Plus, who else would sleep with Dubya?

[Didereaux]

80. Stepford reject...failed quality control and shipped to 'Big Lots' Midland, TX

[tandem5]

69. first hover cars - I'm still waiting! geez! I was promised a hover car...

besides how am I supposed to take my 'bot honey hover parking without one?!

[BlueIris]

74. Many people won't notice the difference.

[mogster]

75. Well, that'll leave more real women for us over 40. Good thing n/t

[Didereaux]

78. 'Blade Runner' Harrison Ford didn't seem to object!

[Ganja Ninja]

81. "could you invent a robot that would make a superior bedmate?"

To hell with that. How can we get this concept into a vending machine format?

[Stuckinthebush]

83. I'm still waiting for the flying cars of the 21st century!

I was promised a flying car back in the 60s. We were sure that by the turn of the century we'd have flying cars.

I'd imagine that in 2050 we'll be laughing about how silly we were thinking that we'd all be having sex with robots.

[Liberal In Texas]

84. Well, somebody is working on that too...Paul Moller...

http://imgred.com/

http://www.moller.com/skycar.htm

The website says they will be certified by the end of 2008, but that remains to be seen.

[Stuckinthebush]

86. Meet George Jetson!

A fender bender will be a lot more dangerous!

[raccoon]

85. Well, at least you wouldn't have to worry about herpes, AIDS, or other STD's. nt

[Norrin Radd]

91. But you will catch a virus

that makes you send out the same email countless times via Outlook.

[libodem]

90. but...but...but

where will Larry Craig, have anonymous public bathroom stall sex? When I took Sociology many years ago now, we had a textbook, of social scenarios, and one was a park bathroom with typical encounters. I remember thinking it had all the romance of necrophilia. My conclusion was they should have a suction machine, similar to the hand blow driers, in which men could stick their dicks. A warm, anonymous, swirly, but I don't think that's the point. Missing is the thrill of being caught, the sickening guilt of doing something you wouldn't want anyone else to know, and the contact with another same sex human being. Well, maybe, if my invention, the Poky-man, could, have a few personality traits, with a few well chosen words or phrases, and look like a mouth or a butthole, I'd make my first million. Come, here often big boy?

[Monk06]

96. That's great until your robot sex toy tells you that you suck and runs away with the vacuum cleaner!

[LeftishBrit]

97. Who will be the first Republican...

to call for a constitutional amendment to ban people from marrying their robots!

[kitty1]

98. online robot looking for a date; my interests include appliances...

watching reruns of The Jetsons and transformers. I also have degree in various lubrication techniques.
For a first date, I would show you my extensive collection of Star Wars droids, and make you a superb Dw40 cocktail.