AI vaginas, customisable personalities and fake bruises: the sex doll market is booming. Does it matter how the dolls are treated?
The sex doll market is experiencing significant growth, with projections suggesting it will double by 2033. The rise of AI-integrated dolls has sparked ethical debates regarding the treatment of lifelike objects and their impact on societal views of gender.
Why it matters
The intersection of AI, consumer technology, and social ethics raises questions about the psychological and societal implications of human-like robotic companions.
‘In a global context, where I believe gender equality has gone backwards, sex dolls are actually just the extreme end of that,’ says Prof Kelly Richards of the Queensland University of Technology Centre for Justice. Photograph: Getty Images ‘In a global context, where I believe gender equality has gone backwards, sex dolls are actually just the extreme end of that,’ says Prof Kelly Richards of the Queensland University of Technology Centre for Justice. Photograph: Getty Images Sex AI vaginas, customisable personalities and fake bruises: the sex doll market is booming. Does it matter how the dolls are treated? As the sex doll industry grows and AI changes the products available, what does it mean to engage in any kind of relationship with a woman-shaped thing?
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