Robot ethicist are pushing for a ban on machines designed to be sex toys as sex dolls continue to grow increasingly complex and the robotics industry looks to add artificial intelligence into their products, according to BBC News.
"Sex robots seem to be a growing focus in the robotics industry," said Kathleen Richardson, a robot ethicist at De Montfort University in Leicester. "The models that they draw on - how they will look, what roles they would play - are very disturbing indeed."
Although mechanical toys used for sexual pleasure have existed for a long time now, the incorporation of artificial intelligence into their designs is something that has only been focused on recently, according to Gizmodo.
Richardson believes that these kinds of technologies have a negative impact on the perception of women and reinforce the idea that relationships don't need to exceed the realm of the physical.
"We think that the creation of such robots will contribute to detrimental relationships between men and women, adults and children, men and men and women and women," she said.
Despite this outcry, the company True Companion has already released a sex robot called "Roxxxy," which can be customized and purchased for $7,000.
Douglas Hines, founder of True Companion, thinks that if they're not hurting anyone, they shouldn't be banned, according to MorningTicker.
"Roxxxy provides physical and sexual pleasure but also provides social interaction and engagement," he said. "It's customizing technology to provide a perfect partner - she's not meant to replace a real partner but is meant as a supplement."
