Love dolls and sex robots in unproven and unexplored fields of application

• Main Author: Bendel Oliver
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: De Gruyter 2020-10-01
• Series: Paladyn: Journal of Behavioral Robotics
• Subjects: love dolls; sex robots; machine ethics; roboethics; information ethics; artificial intelligence; robotics; human-computer interaction
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1515/pjbr-2021-0004

Love dolls, the successors of blow-up dolls, are widespread. They can be ordered online or bought in sex shops and can be found in brothels and households. Sex robots are also on the rise. Research, however, has been slow to address this topic thoroughly. Often, it does not differentiate between users and areas of application, remaining vague, especially in the humanities and social sciences. The present contribution deals with the idea and history of love dolls and sex robots. Against this background, it identifies areas of application that have not been investigated or have hardly been investigated at all. These include prisons, the military, monasteries and seminaries, science, art and design as well as the gamer scene. There is, at least, some relevant research about the application of these artefacts in nursing and retirement homes and as such, these will be given priority. The use of love dolls and sex robots in all these fields is outlined, special features are discussed and initial ethical, legal and pragmatic considerations are made. It becomes clear that artificial love servants can create added value, but that their use must be carefully considered and prepared. In some cases, their use may even be counterproductive.