Open AccessIn love with machines: The bioethical debate about sexual automation
Author(s) -
Elen Nas,
Eugênio da Silva,
Rodrigo Siqueira-Batista
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
revista de bioética y derecho
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.113
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 1886-5887
DOI - 10.1344/rbd2021.53.33184
Subject(s) - bioethics , biopower , perspective (graphical) , robot , sociology , engineering ethics , political science , computer science , artificial intelligence , engineering , politics , law
A few companies around the world are now developing and selling sex robots. Questions such as “how will relationships with robots’ impact human relations in the future” emerge when technologies are used to meet the social and emotional needs of individuals. Considering that technology and design have embedded values and biases, this article surveys the use of sex robots from a bioethical perspective. Relationships with robots and computational systems, like Artificial Intelligence, are a possibility for many people around the world. We present questions raised by the voices in favor of robot sex, and against it. Beyond a binary polarization, the bioethical perspective recalls the Foucaultian concepts of biopolitics and biopower to situate the problems with the mechanization of intimate relationships. We argue that sex robots offer the opportunity to review old patterns regarding gender, inequality, and health.