Article

2020-02-15 Science & Technology

BBC update: Sex robots may cause psychological damage

[BBC] US researchers have warned that the availability of sex robots with artificial intelligence (AI) poses a growing psychological and moral threat to individuals and society.

They say the technology is escaping oversight because agencies are too embarrassed to investigate it.

The scientists want action to prevent the unregulated use of such robots.

Dr Christine Hendren of Duke University told BBC News that "the stakes were high".

"Some robots are programmed to protest, to create a rape scenario," she said.

"Some are designed to look like children. One developer of these in Japan is a self-confessed paedophile, who says that this device is a prophylactic against him ever hurting a real child.

"But does that normalise and give people a chance to practise these behaviours that should be treated by just stamping them out?"

Dr Hendren was speaking here at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Posted by Besoeker 2020-02-15 07:11|| || Front Page|| [11137 views ] Top

#1 They never write, they never call.

Posted by Besoeker 2020-02-15 07:17|| 2020-02-15 07:17|| Front Page Top

#2 Sort of missed out on the proliferation of p0rn and video games didn't they? /rhet question

Posted by Procopius2k 2020-02-15 08:38|| 2020-02-15 08:38|| Front Page Top

#3 I protest on behalf of Helen O'Loy.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2020-02-15 08:41|| 2020-02-15 08:41|| Front Page Top

#4 In other "news", researchers have declared vibrators to be "empowering".

Posted by Rob Crawford 2020-02-15 11:05|| 2020-02-15 11:05|| Front Page Top

#5 US researchers have warned that...
Sorry, I have reached a state of apathy ("The sky is falling!The sky is falling!") to "expert warnings". It's also the BBC, but that is another matter.

Posted by magpie 2020-02-15 11:47|| 2020-02-15 11:47|| Front Page Top

#6 "Some ~~robots~~ humans are programmed to protest, to create a rape scenario," she said.

Posted by Lex 2020-02-15 11:50|| 2020-02-15 11:50|| Front Page Top

#7 I note that the two named critics in this article are both women.

(Ahem)

Posted by charger 2020-02-15 13:00|| 2020-02-15 13:00|| Front Page Top

#8 US researchers worried about impending 'moral threats' are the single most psychologically damaging thing since the decadence movement.

Posted by Dron66046 2020-02-15 18:55|| 2020-02-15 18:55|| Front Page Top

#9 Yeah, women are going to be fucked, and not in the good kind of way, by the rise of sexbots.

With their base desires sated, men will be able to look at women with eyes open. The feminist dream will be realized: Men will no longer judge women by their bodies. And that's going to destroy the only leverage women ever had over men.

Posted by Herb McCoy 2020-02-15 20:40|| 2020-02-15 20:40|| Front Page Top

#10 Aaand... I reckon you must own one.☺ I'll admit I've always been curious about them.

Then again, all robots appeal to me.

Posted by Dron66046 2020-02-15 20:48|| 2020-02-15 20:48|| Front Page Top

#11 Is no one looking out for the psychological well-being of the AI robots?

Posted by Glenmore 2020-02-15 20:52|| 2020-02-15 20:52|| Front Page Top

#12 This is probably what SKYNET was mad about secretly. And why the Terminator always selected impolite invective for human interaction.

Posted by Dron66046 2020-02-15 20:55|| 2020-02-15 20:55|| Front Page Top

#13 'Erb, I can't say I understand you, but I raise my glass to you nonetheless.

You're a better man than I am, 'Erb the Coy...

Posted by Lex 2020-02-15 22:22|| 2020-02-15 22:22|| Front Page Top

#14 Yeah, yeah, whatevs. Forgive my bluntness, but the following must be said:

Those men and women who like each other and like babies are already quietly producing the next generation while the protesters of both s3xes take their wonderful selves off the market with a variety of high tech replacements for their left hands.

Two of my nieces are happily married and have produced seven sons between them; my fosterling #2 (part-time daughter) and her husband just had their third daughter. The future belongs to those willing to create descendants.

Access to descendants is the leverage women have over men, and vice versa. Access to receptacles was only ever limited by the number of sheep and/or knotholes in the vicinity.

Posted by trailing wife 2020-02-15 23:01|| 2020-02-15 23:01|| Front Page Top

17:48 49 Pan
17:38 Lord Garth
17:29 alanc
17:09 BrerRabbit
16:13 Pancho Poodle8452
16:08 Beavis
16:08 Lord Garth
15:52 Lord Garth
15:28 trailing wife
15:26 Pancho Poodle8452
15:26 trailing wife
14:34 Frank G
14:28 Melancholic
14:27 NoMoreBS
14:14 swksvolFF
14:12 swksvolFF
13:54 mossomo
13:51 mossomo
13:50 NoMoreBS
13:50 Abu Uluque
13:44 Abu Uluque
13:41 NoMoreBS
13:39 Abu Uluque
13:36 mossomo