Society must consider risks of sex robots, report warns

Abstract

As robots designed for sex are now available, policy makers must start to consider how they are being used and whether regulation is needed, a report from the Foundation for Responsible Robotics warns, as use of these “sexbots” will inevitably grow as technology evolves and their price drops.1 Aimee van Wynsberghe, assistant professor in ethics and technology at the Technical University of Delft, Netherlands, and codirector of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics, told a UK press conference in London on 4 July that the report had been published to encourage policy makers, academics, the technology industry, and the public to think about the issues involved. “Clearly there isn’t much of a conversation happening about what is acceptable or permissible and what should be promoted,” said van Wynsberghe. “There is a lot of talk about …