Abstract
Abstract Love dolls, the successors of blow-up dolls, are widespread. They can be ordered online or bought in sex shops and can be found in brothels and households. Sex robots are also on the rise. Research, however, has been slow to address this topic thoroughly. Often, it does not differentiate between users and areas of application, remaining vague, especially in the humanities and social sciences. The present contribution deals with the idea and history of love dolls and sex robots. Against this background, it identifies areas of application that have not been investigated or have hardly been investigated at all. These include prisons, the military, monasteries and seminaries, science, art and design as well as the gamer scene. There is, at least, some relevant research about the application of these artefacts in nursing and retirement homes and as such, these will be given priority. The use of love dolls and sex robots in all these fields is outlined, special features are discussed and initial ethical, legal and pragmatic considerations are made. It becomes clear that artificial love servants can create added value, but that their use must be carefully considered and prepared. In some cases, their use may even be counterproductive.
Highlights
Sex robots are robots that are used for having sex [1]
Research question 1 (RQ1) is what is the history of the idea of artificial love servants, how did they develop and how are these used and applied in different narratives and situations? Research question 2 (RQ2) is against the background of the history of ideas and development and on the basis of the author’s own considerations and observations, what are possible areas of application for love dolls and sex robots beyond brothels and homes and how are they used there? The article combines this historical and contemporary tour of discovery with social, moral, legal and pragmatic questions
What is true for Eros in art is true for the artificial love servants: it is the men who describe, sing, draw, paint and create the girls and women
Summary
Sex robots are robots that are used for having sex [1]. Sex dolls or love dolls with synthetic speech or simple motor skills, such as being able to turn their heads, can be considered to fall in this category. The present contribution investigates the fields of application in which love dolls and sex robots can be utilized, those which have not or hardly been considered so far – i.e. beyond brothels and private households. Research question 1 (RQ1) is what is the history of the idea of artificial love servants, how did they develop and how are these used and applied in different narratives and situations? Research question 2 (RQ2) is against the background of the history of ideas and development and on the basis of the author’s own considerations and observations, what are possible areas of application for love dolls and sex robots beyond brothels and homes and how are they used there? Research question 3 (RQ3) is, what are the social and ethical challenges in these application areas?. There seems to be no alternative to this approach
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