The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, passed in March, aims to establish a comprehensive legal framework to “foster trustworthy AI in Europe and beyond, by ensuring that AI systems respect fundamental rights, safety and ethical principles and by addressing risks of very powerful and impactful AI models.” This act highlights the complex moral and ethical issues embedded in the development of AI. At the apex of its four-tier risk pyramid are those that pose an “unacceptable risk”, which should be expressly prohibited.
These risks include personal harm arising from manipulative, deceptive, or subliminal techniques that influence decisions, exploitation of vulnerabilities due to age, disability, or socioeconomic status, data-driven categorization of individuals, and the harmful development of facial recognition databases.
A recent article in the Post brought these unacceptable risks into sharp focus, spotlighting developments that could reflect AI’s assumption of human-like capabilities. Evan Lee, CEO of Shenzhen’s Starpery Technology, announced his company is developing a next-generation sex doll that can interact both vocally and physically with users. Lee’s ambition extends beyond humanoid robots providing sexual services to include robots capable of household chores and care for the disabled or elderly. This news prompted the Post’s cartoonist to humorously question whether such robots would also be able to cook.
Even basic thought experiments reveal that Starpery’s ambitions—and those of its competitors—cannot be fully achieved without these robots acquiring fundamentally human capabilities, placing them squarely within the EU’s “unacceptable risk” category.
China, a significant hub of the US$35 billion global sex toys industry, faces physical and ethical challenges as AI use rises across industries. The US, known for its imaginative interpretation of national security risks, is likely to view AI-empowered sex dolls as a potential threat.
Although sex robots are a small portion of the global sex toy industry, their development is notable. Bedbible, a sex toy review site, estimates sex robots make up about 0.5% of the US$37 billion industry, with the average price of sex robots in 2022 being US$3,567, a substantial decrease from US$24,000 in 2010.
A Guardian report in January on the sex robot industry questioned the sector’s growth pace, citing logistical limitations and the social awkwardness of owning a sex robot. Rob Brooks, an author, noted, “They’re big, they’re clunky, they’re embarrassing if they’re sitting on the sofa when your friends come over. You need a massive closet, both literally and figuratively, if you’re going to have one.”
Lee acknowledges these practical challenges, highlighting issues with batteries and artificial muscles. While companies like BYD and Tesla struggle to shrink batteries, sexbot manufacturers find that humanoid robots lack space for large batteries, and current engines lack the flexibility of human muscles.
Cost is another factor limiting the sector’s growth. Starpery prices its dolls around US$1,500, whereas an advanced Harmony doll from Abyss Creations in the US starts at US$6,000. Humanoid robots from Dalian-based Ex-Robots can cost as much as US$276,000.
Despite these limitations, the era of AI-enhanced sex robots seems inevitable. Kate Devlin, an AI researcher at King’s College London, suggests that sex with robots represents a future encompassing “science fiction utopias and dystopias, loneliness and companionship, law and ethics, privacy and community. Most of all, it’s about being human in a world of machines.”
While sex robots are far from being plausible companions, improvements in technology could make the nuanced behaviour intrinsic to romance and sex more feasible, blurring the lines between humans and humanoids. This trajectory will inevitably clash with the EU’s “unacceptable risk” standards.
Ethical considerations remain unresolved. There is concern that sex robots might enable socially questionable fantasies, similar to issues surrounding pornography or sex worker abuse. A major ethical concern is consent. As Orly Lobel, author and law professor at the University of San Diego, writes, “Until a robot is truly autonomous in its decision-making, it cannot truly grant consent.”
These debates will not be framed solely by the EU’s AI Act, despite its well-meaning effort. The act underscores the complex interplay of ethics, law, and technology that will shape the future of AI in various industries, including the controversial development of sex robots.
