Sex robots look more and more realistic. They look like people, their skin looks like ours, they’re even heated. Dr Sergi Santos, the author of the famous Samantha doll just want a step further. The robot received a surprising upgrade – it can now refuse sex to its partner if it’s not in the mood or feeling uncomfortable.
The sex robot is supposed to be a realistic partner. It has motorized hands, hips and face. It can whisper sweet nothings to the partner if it’s properly stimulated. Aside from “sex” mode, it also has “family” and “romantic” modes, as well as settings for a “naughty” level
The newest mode can give the male users something to think about regarding respect and consent. But there still is one very important difference between Samantha and real women: when Samantha is not feeling comfortable, you can just turn it off, while a person can fight and introduce consequences for a partner that ignores protests.
In reality, realistic sex robots or erotic dolls could just increase the problems plaguing the current day dating culture. Some think that robot sex might decrease the number of victims of toxic masculinity, but there’s a real possibility that the line between sexual objects made to look like women and actual women could be blurred, and real women could be treated as sexual objects.
According to research carried out by the Forktip organization, 71% of men and 50% of women would replace their partners with automated sex robots. Doctor Santos himself claims that using Samantha saved his 16-year marriage, because it gave him a chance to satisfy his sexual urges, even when his wife wasn’t in the mood.
Real consequences of using realistic sex dolls have not been noticed yet, but will soon. Samantha will soon enter the market, with a price tag of around $4700. The release date hasn’t been announced yet.