Deus Sex Machina: Loving Robot Sex Workers and the Allure of an Insincere Kiss

摘要

In an era when human-robot interactions are becoming a part of everyday life for many people—or will be, within their lifetime—questions once explored only by science fiction have become part of science fact. A popular quandary is the confusing set of ideas about human sexuality and robots, or, more specifically, can humans be sexual with, or have affection for, robots in a way similar to how they can be sexual and affectionate with a human physically and emotionally? If the notions of sexuality and love are often entwined, either by purpose or accident, in human-human relationships, will people engage similarly with robots? Of the many questions the notion of human-robot sexuality brings to mind, this chapter considers whether people will feel affection for, and possibly even love, a robot while engaging in a sexual association or context. The tendency of overlapping sexual and emotional affection in human-human models will also increase the likelihood that people will cast some robots into light not just as viable sexual partners, but also as things worthy of human affection.