This has been the subject of debate after the recent advertisement of 'Roxxxy TrueCompanion', a robot you can buy and simulate raping with a simple switch in setting.
One of the programmable personalities for the robot is 'Frigid Farrah', described as "reserved and shy" on the True Companion company website. Like 'Wild Wendy' and 'S & M Susan' whose characteristics are self-ascribed, the website says that for Frigid Farrah, if you touch her "in a private area, more than likely, she will not be to appreciative of your advance."
In the website's description, the model lacks an attempt to reproduce consent in the real world and the company say that their robots "allow everyone to realise their most private sexual dreams."
Another programmed personality that has been heavily criticised is that of 'Young Yoko' who is described by the website as: "oh so young (barely 18) and waiting for you to teach her."
Roxxxy is the 9th version of the company's sex robots after they developed their first 'Trudy' in the 1990s and the trade in sex robots has already caught on. The New York Times reports that a California-based company 'Abyss Creations' annually ships up to 600 hyper-realistic sex dolls worldwide.
A new report from the Foundation for Responsible Robotics also warns of the numerous ethical implications in our sexual future with robots.
"We found that there were a bunch of companies making these and beginning to ship orders and we thought that we should really look at it," said co-author of the report and AI Professor Noel Sharkey addressing journalists on Tuesday.
A survey published by UK innovation company Nesta last June, found that over a quarter of young people surveyed would happily date a robot.
Prof Sharkey launched the Foundation 18 months ago in order to explore controversial areas such as the questions surrounding how robots can impact sex crimes.
"Some people say it's better they rape robots than rape real people. There are other people saying this would just encourage rapists more," Prof Sharkey explained.
"Robots don't have any kind of emotion themselves. People bond with robots but it's very one way. You're loving an artefact that can't love you back and that's what's sad about it," Prof Sharkey added.
Laura Bates, campaigner and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, condemned the Frigid Farrah product in the New York Times writing: "rape is not an act of sexual passion. It is a violent crime."
"We should no more be encouraging rapists to find a supposedly safe outlet for it than we should facilitate murderers by giving them realistic, blood-spurting dummies to stab," Ms Bates added.
The True Companion robots raise the issue of the repercussions of normalising sexual crime. In Ms Bate's view, the company's products muddy and worsen the still much-misunderstood area of consent.
The Independent have contacted True Companion for comment and the company are yet to reply.
"Their creators are selling far more than an inanimate sex aid. They are effectively reproducing real women, complete with everything, except autonomy," Ms Bates added.
Reader Comments
Harm Reduction of Rape Substitution for the Sexual Predator is a House of Cards Built upon Quicksand,
Expect as a form of Ironic Karma a Black Hat Hacker Coded Personality Plug-In of "Vigiliante Lisbeth Salander" who at First Compliant due to economic blackmail then after the Rape by Sodomy comes back with a Taser, Rope, & Dildo who happens to capture the Selfie-POV Footage of "Beast Bjurman" with her "Megapixel Camera Eye-Balls" of her Rape to teach lessons of Brutal Irony or there is the opposite for those who are Pathologically Inclined to Brutal Sadism of Booby Traps with Black Widow-Praying Mantis Programming Emulating of the "Mating Ritual" that mostly ends up with the Male Getting Cannibalized for his Flesh and Spermatozoa that generates Public Outrage due to various reasons for the Heavy Regulation if not Prohibition of These AI-Driven Dutch Wives.
As an Individual of Asian Ancestry born in America four Generations down and a Fan of Cyber-Punk Multi Media in it's various forms, Marriage to your Dating Sim Girlfriend of Virtual Pop Idol(Vocaloid) is already "Pitiful Arm Wrestling with Pathetic" adding to the "Peculiarity of an Inanimate Dutch Wife.To.Frack?!" this is a symptom of the aspect of Pathocracy that is Tech Sector's Dark Age Foreshadow to the Emerging Algorithmic Intelligence, VR/Augmented Reality, and Biomechanical-Tech Industry that already has proven itself unable to Regulate its Exponentially-Explosive growth that our human capacity to establish basic Moral Standards and Ethical Considerations is lagging behind Development.
"Curiosity Killed the Cat"-Lee played by James Spader in the Motion Picture "2 Days in the Valley"