Romantic robots: the next step in man-machine relationships

By Dick Pelletier

      

    Although many people might find the idea of romance with a machine repulsive, next-gen humans may view our silicon creations in a friendlier light. During the next two decades, robots are expected to fill rolls as caregivers, servants, and friendly avatars managing auto-drive cars and entertainment systems. People growing up during this time will become comfortable sharing their world with intelligent machines.

    James Irvine and Sandra Schwarzbach, in their recent Futurist Magazine article, The Top 20 (Plus 5) Technologies for the World Ahead, predict that the world will predominantly be driven by two fields: robotics and biotech. These areas will overtake information technologies by 2025, and will dominate global research efforts over the next 50 years.

    Technologies to build robots that perceive their surroundings, move themselves, and perform tasks without human oversight should reach fruition between 2015 and 2025, the authors claim. Others believe that by mid-2030s, our silicon friends will be endowed with human consciousness, flesh-like skin, great looks, a charming personality, and encoded with all the abilities required to fill the role of a loving partner.

    Jason Nemeth, in his essay should Robots Feel, believes love-companion robots will be practical in the future, and could one day satisfy all our intimate desires. Nemeth is not sure whether human/robot love would experience higher success rates than love between two humans, but he says tomorrow's robots will unlock the possibilities, and humans willing to experiment will take it from there.

    Carnegie Mellon's Hans Moravec believes that by late 2020s, we will create robots in humanoid form, powered by fuel cells and cooled by a squeeze pump that beats like a heart with alcohol cooling its circuits. Robots would 'drink wine' for fuel, breathe air like us, and appear amazingly human-like.

    Design tricks like these, along with soft 'nanoskin' will make tomorrow's 'bots seem uncannily human, encouraging us to perceive them as friends. Author Ray Kurzweil says tomorrow's 'droids could quickly learn to flesh out our positive feelings, which would provide an allure difficult for humans to resist.

    David Levy, author of Love and Sex with Robots, predicts that as robots become more sophisticated, growing numbers of adventurous humans will enter into intimate relationships with these intelligent 'bots.

    A robotic partner and lover would be the perfect mate, never showing boredom or being inattentive, Levy says. You will always be the focus and centerpiece of their existence and you never need worry about their being unfaithful or going astray, because qualities of loyalty and being faithful are embedded in their programming. However, for those who enjoy a more risqué love life, this program could be altered.

    What about the seamy side of, say, robo escorts. Would this be legal where human prostitution is not? Would we call it infidelity if a spouse indulges in robot passion? In addition, how will religious supporters react to confirmation that the deepest human thoughts and achievements can be duplicated in machines?

    Levy doesn't deny that romantic robots won't pose problems. In fact, robo-loving may only appeal to society's loners and misfits, he says; but that really shouldn't matter. There are millions of people who are lonely and miserable without regular sex lives or relationships, he adds. A world where everyone has someone to love and to be loved, could raise happiness levels, and maybe even influence global peace.

    However, there are robots rights issues to consider. Tomorrows 'bots may prompt lawmakers to make it illegal to 'turn off' a robot without their permission. In addition, would robots and humans be able to marry? If robots can evoke true love, maybe robo-human marriage should be legal. I can hear the rituals now; "Do you take this set of transistors and hard drives to be your lawfully wedded wife (or husband)?"

    As wild as human-machine relationships might seem today, there are reasons to think that love and sex with robots will happen. Robots are already better in math, logic, chess, and games like Jeopardy. With an intelligent mind, and a beautiful and sexy human-like body, these 'bots could one day captivate us all.

    This romantic robot journey winds around unknown turns; but whether you love it or hate it; strong commercial support insures that this futuristic world will be ours to experience. Comments welcome.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.