Reprogramming consent: implications of sexual relationships with artificially intelligent partners

ABSTRACT

The growing cultural conversation about sexual consent comes at a time in which new technologies with potential implications for sexuality norms are also beginning to emerge in the marketplace. ‘Sex robots’ – anthropomorphic sex toys ‘brought to life’ by artificial intelligence – are one such innovation. Critics suggest that making sex dolls more lifelike but not necessarily more realistic could erode cultural norms around sexuality, particularly regarding consent. Using qualitative content analysis, this study examined user discourse on the ‘Club RealDoll’ forum to investigate how Harmony, the artificially intelligent Android-based app behind Abyss Creations’ sex robot technology, engendered particular normative values and uncovered users’ preconceived attitudes about consent. These data ultimately revealed how the app’s gamified format promotes a set of flawed internal ethics, incompatible with broader societal ideals for positive and respectful sexual experiences. The results also suggested, however, that with purposeful design intervention, this technology could be ‘reprogrammed’ to provide clarity on the role of consent. Although the experience of using a physically integrated sex robot may intrinsically vary from that of the standalone digital app, these findings make a critical contribution to the conversation around emerging technologies and their effect on sexual relationship norms.

KEYWORDS:

• Sex robots
• consent
• artificial intelligence
• human-computer interaction

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Dr. Garrison LeMasters for his invaluable assistance in preparing the Python script for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. An artificial intelligence-based tool that enables users to create videos and 3D-models wherein an individual’s face is realistically swapped for another’s (Harris, 2018).

2. The detachable head system was designed to animate Harmony’s facial features and sync the movement of her mouth with voice capabilities. The ‘external smooth silicone face,' attached to the robot’s plastic skull via magnets, could also be removed and exchanged for different faces.

3. Frank and Nyholm suggested that the proliferation of sexual assault on college campuses exposes the “rape culture” embedded in American society (i.e., a ‘mindset by which non-consensual sex is normalized or otherwise implicitly or explicitly approved of largely as a result of sexist attitudes, institutions, and patterns of behavior;' p. 320).

4. Club RealDoll forum is a publicly accessible online forum in which current owners and aspiring consumers of RealDoll alike can discuss a multitude of relevant product issues.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ellen M. Kaufman

Ellen M. Kaufman is a doctoral student in Informatics at Indiana University and a Graduate Research Assistant at the Kinsey Institute. She received her M.A. in Communication, Culture, and Technology from Georgetown University, where her research focused on the ethics of emerging ‘sex robot’ technology and artificial intelligence. Her work continues to explore the intersection of technological innovation and digital intimacy.