Why Sex With Robots is Always Wrong: The Impending Demise of the Human Species
by Rich Deem

Introduction

FACA?

This page is going to seem rather far out and unrealistic, given today's moral standards. However, the standards are rapidly changing, and within a few years the human race will be in a position in which sexual immorality could exist on a widespread scale.

Rich Deem

Brian was 28 when he bought his first FACA (female anatomically correct android). They had been around since the early 2020's, but had been much too expensive to personally own. Now that the price had dropped to around $80,000, Brian had thought that he would buy a car every 8-10 years, instead of every 4-5 years and new FACA in between. Besides, the new FACAs were much more realistic than the old ones, since the technology had developed to provide cooling to all the internal computers and simultaneously make the robot warm to the touch by providing fluidics through the computers to dissipate heat through a network of "capillaries" located just under the "skin." Yes, the new models were friendly and warm. Brian was introduced to FACAs in college, where the fraternities would rent a FACA during the weekends and go on binges of drinking and sex. The rental prices were rather high at first, since these FACAs were million-dollar machines, but eventually the supply caught up with demand and almost everybody could afford to rent or buy one.

Early FACA design

Asimo Asimo

Early attempts to create human-like robots were forced to reply upon microprocessor technology with large, heavy batteries that required frequent recharging. ASIMO, produced by Honda, was the first robot to display human-like movement, but was capable of only an hour's operation before recharging its 17 pound battery pack. However, the invention of carbon nanotube-based computers increased the computing power, reduced power consumption, and decreased the weight of computing electronics. Coupled with rapid increases in speech recognition, the first human-like robots were soon being manufactured. Instead of magnesium frames covered with thick plastic, the robots were eventually designed using lightweight carbon-fiber composite designed to mimic the structure of human bones moved by pulley systems to generate the full range of human motion. The hard plastic was soon replaced with fabrics that felt like real skin. Thus, the transformation from machine to android was nearly complete.

From good to bad

Not content with merely an online presence, the adult entertainment industry soon realized that androids, properly constructed, could earn them billions of dollars in additional revenue. The first of these sex robots were crude, non-animated versions introduced in the early 2010's.1 However, soon top programmers and engineers were hired away from the automakers and computer companies with offers of up to ten times their average salaries, similar to what had been done with their movie businesses in the late 2010's, when they had hired away Hollywood's best CG programmers to turn out realistic-looking virtual pornography movies. Of course, the acceptance of pornography as legitimate entertainment had rapidly escalated in the late 2000's, especially after Generation X had raised their own families.2 Although the newly designed FACA looked good, they were still somewhat clumsy and had trouble with all but the most common colloquialisms. For the average male college student, this was not a major problem, since conversation was not his major intent. However, when companies tried to market MACA, the male counterpart, to the female college crowd, the acceptance was less than stellar, although some women insisted that they weren't any worse at conversation than the average male. However, in the 2020's prices were way too high for all but the wealthy to purchase their own android.

Life in the 2030's

The breakthrough in computing came in the early 2030's when software engineers finally were able to design computers that could learn and interact in the way the human brain works. Coupled with individual nanotube computer-controlled joints, the androids were nearly indistinguishable from average human beings. Money from the adult entertainment industry, in their push for realistic motion and conversation, had accelerated the technology in what would have taken decades to only a few years. Mass production of FACA's rapidly brought down prices, and competition with mainstream entertainment providers, who didn't want to be left out of the rapidly expanding market, pushed prices further down. However, what had begun as merely weekend binges in college dorms and fraternities was brought to the mainstream. Acceptance among the male population evolved rapidly as men realized they could get an ideal "woman" whose only goal was to serve him. Entertainment companies became more bold as FACA were advertised as being "better than sex." In addition, FACA were adept at gourmet cooking, cleaning, and household chores, so that one could always use utility as an excuse to get one.

Opposition to FACA

As more and more men were able to purchase their own FACA, marriage rates dropped precipitously and women who were unable to find a real man turned to MACA or homosexuality in order to maintain relationships. The Church was inconsistently opposed to the whole FACA idea. After all, it wasn't like there was a specific commandment against having sex with a machine. An added bonus was that abortion virtually disappeared and out-of-wedlock pregnancies (in addition to any pregnancies at all) became very rare. Sperm banks sprang up all over as women who wanted to have children were forced to pay exorbitant prices, since very few men were interested in donating (even with the enticement of a free FACA rental for the purpose of donating at the sperm bank). Population control groups and environmentalists were thrilled that the human birth rate was now rapidly declining well below replacement levels. Several women's groups formed an alliance in an attempt to outlaw the sale of FACA. Virtually all attempts to legislate against FACA were either blocked by male legislators or in the courts as restricting freedom of speech. Finally, in the much watched case, city of Provo vs. FACA Entertainment, prosecutors attempted to get the practice outlawed on the basis of anti-slavery laws. In attempting to prove that FACA were intelligent beings that deserved protection from oppression under the constitution of the United States, it seemed that the lawyers for the city were going to be able to prove their point, as they cross examined a victim of FACA abuse. However, the defense brought in their own FACA to cross examine. In the middle of the examination, the defense attorney suddenly grabbed the FACA and slammed it to the ground, scattering pieces of the machine all over the floor. Suddenly, the facade of humanity was gone, as the lawyer asked if anyone was going to charge him with a crime. The last challenge against the widespread use of FACA had been crushed.

Acceleration of perversions

Initially, all FACA had been designed as young adult versions of their human counterparts. However, emboldened by their sweeping victories in the courts, FACA were soon designed as young girls and boys, and even animals, to meet every possible sexual perversion of their intended markets. Even those men who bought the adult FACA versions found their attitudes changing, since there were no consequences to anything they did with their FACA. After all, it didn't matter if you swore at your FACA or spoke harshly to it, since it always did exactly what you wanted. Over time, men who owned FACA became more and more rude to their human counterparts as the degradation of society accelerated. Men who owned a FACA disdained the company of real women, with all their incessant demands and mood swings. The sexual revolution was complete and we were all the victims.

Not going to happen?

Yes, the above scenario should bother you, whether you are a Christian or an atheist. Before you say that the scenario above is unlikely, I would like for you to consider some facts that led me to write the story and come to the belief that it is entirely possible that our societies could be headed in that direction. First, there are no legal barriers to the scenario playing out in full. The Supreme Court has ruled that nearly all forms of pornography are first amendment "protected speech." There is no reason to believe that a machine would not fall into that category. So there are no legal barriers. There are scientific barriers to robotic designs, but those are rapidly disappearing, as the first "FACA" are already being marketed.1

Moral acceptance

 The data underlying the "radical" predictions laid out in this page come from scientific studies that have examined the pervasiveness and effects of pornography upon men and women. In particular, recent data show widespread acceptance of pornography among today's young adults as "an acceptable way to express one's sexuality."2 For males the acceptance rate is 67% compared to 37% for their fathers. Among young adult women the acceptance rate is 49% compared to 20% among their mothers. So, the rate of acceptance of pornography has doubled in just one generation. When those young adults raise their own children, the acceptance rate will probably be greater than 80% for both males and females. The step between watching pornography through technology and engaging in sex acts through an attractive technological object is not that far, especially when the object acts as if it were a real human being.

Degradation of attitudes and morals

The idea that sex with robots will radically effect the attitudes of practitioners also comes from studies of those involved with pornography on a regular basis. Studies have found that viewing of pornography results in:

  1. increased callousness toward women
  2. trivialization of rape as a criminal offense
  3. distorted perceptions about sexuality
  4. increased appetite for more deviant and bizarre types of pornography (escalation and addiction)
  5. devaluation of monogamy
  6. decreased satisfaction with a partner’s sexual performance, affection, and physical appearance
  7. doubts about the value of marriage
  8. decreased desire to have children
  9. viewing non-monogamous relationships as normal and natural behavior.3

Pornography portrays an unrealistic view of relationships and persistent viewing enforces those views. An android that always does what it's told, despite bad behavior, enforces that behavior. In real relationships, bad behavior is thwarted through unpleasant consequences related to that behavior. With pornography and android sex, there are no consequences, so bad behavior goes unpunished, reinforcing the behavior.

What can I do?

The age of just accepting pornography as a harmless pastime has ended and people need to get serious about their personal and corporate responsibility toward opposing the spread of this evil and its soon-coming technological replacement. Revenue from pornography in 2006 was $97 billion worldwide. Every time you go online and view or download pornography somebody gets paid. It is time to stop that behavior and work toward the eradication of pornography. The Church must speak out forcefully against casual acceptance of pornography among its members. Get your pastor to speak about it. Have him read the above story in church. Yes, in church!

You atheists can't just sit around and snicker at it. Where are all the atheist organizations against the spread of pornography? You hold the truth in high esteem? Pornography is bad for people! As a seeker of truth and justice you should oppose things that are bad for people. Get it? Read the story to people among your groups. Report inappropriate content on mainstream websites. Get involved!

White Ribbon Against Pornography

Conclusion Top of page

In case you didn't get it, this page is not about sex with robots at all. It is about increasing sexual perversion and increasingly pervasive virtual sex happening through the expanding acceptance of online pornography. Scientific studies show that those who consistently use pornography end up expressing increasingly antisocial behaviors. Since pornography is rapidly gaining acceptance among today's youth, it is likely that the world will become a more callous place as these attitudes become more acceptable. Sex with robots may of may not happen within the next 40 years, but we are definitely headed in that direction at present. The only thing holding it back at this point is the technology. Legal barriers do not exist, and moral barriers are eroding rapidly. Its advent will signal the impending end of the human race as "perfect" mates replace the imperfect ones we now have. In order to stop this perversion from destroying the human race, we must act now to change attitudes toward virtual sex of all kinds, including pornography.


Ana Bridges from Witherspoon Institute on Vimeo.

References Top of page

  1. Firm unveils X-rated robot (PhysOrg.com)
  2. A study published in 2008 showed that 49% of women and 67% of men aged 18-26 considered pornography "an acceptable way to express one's sexuality" compared to only 37% of their fathers and 20% of their mothers. Carroll, J. S., Padilla-Walker, L. M., Nelson, L. J., Olson, C. D., McNamara Barry, C., and Madsen, S. D. 2008. Generation XXX: Pornography Acceptance and Use Among Emerging Adults. Journal of Adolescent Research 23: 6-30.
  3. Drake, R. E. 1994. Potential health hazards of pornography consumption as viewed by psychiatric nurses. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing 8: 101–106.
    Zillman, D., & Bryant, J. 1982. Pornography, sexual callousness, and the trivialization of rape. Journal of Communication 32: 10–21.
    Zillman, D., & Bryant, J. 1984. Effects of massive exposure to pornography. In N. M. Malamuth & E. Donnerstein (Eds.), Pornography and Sexual Aggressionimg src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=savedbygracemini&l=as2&o=1&a=0124662811" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none; margin:0px;" />, Orlando, FL: Academic, pp. 115–138.
    Zillman, D., & Bryant, J. 1988. Effects of prolonged consumption of pornography on family values. Journal of Family Issues 9: 518–544.

Reflections
We are what we think.

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Last Modified July 1, 2010

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