It’s Not a Computer, It’s a Companion! We believe we’re on the cusp of a significant societal shift: AI companions will soon become commonplace. What was once the domain of science fiction, the likes of WALL-E, R2-D2, or Plankton’s Karen, is fast becoming a reality. (…) Unlike humans, AI-powered conversation partners are always available, interested in talking with you, and can discuss any topic. This has made AI companions, in our opinion, one of the first few killer use cases of generative AI for everyday consumers.

Fears and fantasies in human interactions with sex robots – USA media discourse analysis 2016-2023: The current state of robotics and artificial intelligence allows sex robot manufacturers to produce body parts and genitalia of all colors and sizes, however, the personality aspect of the robot is almost inexistent. Therefore, it makes sense to focus not on the rights of the robots but on the rights of people who use the robot and who these robots represent.
The thesis has shown that the representation of women is an on going problem for the field heavily dominated by men. Sex robot manufacturers do not only not share the concerns about how robots relate to real women but even deny that any such relation can be traced. The dominating narrative promotes the view that sex robots are tools for people to exercise their right to sex and experience pleasure. But, somehow from the context, it is always understood that only men are meant by the target group of these inventions. The current field of robots has no clue how to create robots that please women, which pushes women to organize grassroot initiatives building their own robots from scratch. Claiming the field of technology and sexual pleasure, women can make a real difference in how we understand pleasure and technology in our society.

act.: These women fell in love with an AI-voiced chatbot. Then it died: Chinese AI voice startup Timedomain’s “Him” created virtual companions that called users and left them messages. Some users were so moved by the messages, written by humans but voiced by AI, that they considered “Him” to be their romantic partner. Timedomain shut down “Him”, leaving these users distraught.