By 2025, ‘sexbots will be commonplace’ – which is just fine, as we’ll all be...

[Wilikon]

...unemployed and bored thanks to robots stealing our jobs

According to a new report that looks at how continuing improvements to artificial intelligence and robotics will impact society, “robotic sex partners will become commonplace” by 2025. A large portion of the report also focuses on how AI and robotics will impact both blue- and white-collar workers, with about 50% of the polled experts stating that robots will displace more human jobs than they create by 2025.

The report, called “AI, Robotics, and the Future of Jobs” and published by Pew Research, is a 66-page monster [PDF]. The report basically consists of a bunch of experts waxing lyrical about what the world will look like in 2025 if robots and AI continue to advance at the same scary pace of the last few years. Almost every expert agreed that robots and AI will no longer be constrained to repetitive tasks on a production line, and will permeate “wide segments of daily life by 2025.” The experts are almost perfectly split on whether these everyday robots will be a boon or a menace to society, though — but more on that at the end of the story.

While the report is full of juicy sound bites from experts such as Vint Cerf, danah boyd, and David Clark, one quote by GigaOM Research’s Stowe Boyd caught my eye. By 2025, according to Boyd, “Robotic sex partners will be a commonplace, although the source of scorn and division, the way that critics today bemoan selfies as an indicator of all that’s wrong with the world.”

Back in 2012 — a long time ago in today’s tech climate — I wrote that we’d have realistic sexbots by around 2017. These robostitutes won’t necessarily have human-level intelligence (that’s still another 10+ years away I think), but they’ll look, move, and feel a lot like real humans. In short, they’ll probably be good enough to satisfy most sexual urges. What effect these sexbots will have on human-human relationships, and the sex and human trafficking trades, remains to be seen. At a bare minimum, a lot of sex workers will probably lose their jobs. If lovotics — the study of human-robot relationships — becomes advanced enough and people start falling in love with their sexbots (or rather partnerbots), then there could be some wide-ranging repercussions.

But, back to the bigger story: Will advanced AI and robots make the world a better place or not? Basically everyone agrees that robotics and AI are going to displace a lot of jobs over the next few years as the general-purpose robot comes of age. Even though these early general-purpose bots (such as Baxter in the video below) won’t be as fast or flexible as humans, they will be flexible enough that they can perform various menial tasks 24/7 — and cost just a few cents of electricity, rather than minimum wage. Likewise, self-driving vehicles will replace truck drivers, taxis, pizza delivery kids, and so on.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/188047-by-2025-sexbots-will-be-commonplace-which-is-just-fine-as-well-all-be-unemployed-and-bored-thanks-to-robots-stealing-our-jobs

[Tusk]

Ha cyber/robo cops arresting cyber/robo hookers now that's something to look forward too 

[Fray]

I would seriously doubt that there would be a very big market for this. I think most people enjoy having sex with an actual person and would not want to do it with a machine. It is really just not possible to replace the human touch.

Granted there may be some kind of niche market for people who have really weird fantasies.

[galbros]

Granted there may be some kind of niche market for people who have really weird fantasies.

Two words: Real Dolls.

There are a lot of lonely people out there.

Given how pornography and sex have driven so many consumer adoptions, why not robotics?

[Mike Christ]

I doubt this will happen.  VR is a much more likely candidate for fulfillment of sexual fantasy; sexbots are inefficient, take up too much space, take a lot of resources to develop, as compared to a headset, easily customizable software, and something to put your dick in/something dick-shaped.  Most jobs which will use robotics aren't going to have robots that look like people, as people aren't necessarily the most efficient at doing certain tasks.  The ones which will, are likely going to be in the services industry, and will likely be novelties as the businesses which cut out the expense of making a presentable robot will be less expensive.

I think there will be a larger market for alternative sex down the road, assuming feminism in its modern format continues to spread, the court system remains or increases in gynocentrism, and white knights become increasingly unwilling to conform to the monetary and social demands of their partners.  Considering the porn industry is still around and strong, I see no reason to believe improvements in alternative sex won't result in an increase of sales.  If the only pro left for the man in the modern family is to have a spot to plant his hoo-haw, then I foresee this industry--in whatever form it takes--as being incredibly disruptive and I will have my popcorn ready for the ensuing governmental response (which will, as you can probably guess, result in some kind of ban in an attempt to keep men on the hamster wheel of tax farming.)

[Wilikon]

It could be a combo of both https://www.realdoll.com/ and http://www.oculusvr.com/

[Spendulus]

...unemployed and bored thanks to robots stealing our jobs

.....

Whatever that thing is in that picture, it pretty scary.

[pungopete468]

No way that will be a reality...

P.S.
That doll looks like Michael Jackson...

[Gargulan]

The technology to replace doctor and lawyer is almost here.

Think we will all be in trouble if prostitute and hooker can be replaced by bot.

[blumangroup]

I'd rather have hookers in people's houses than out on the street begging.

[zolace]

Well, I guess you never know what can happen in 10 years time. I don't know if we can get a 100% perfect sex bot, but there have been some many advances in interactive sex dolls over the past few years. In 10 years they might not be available in stores, but sometime pretty close could be in someone's research or testing lab around that time

[niothor]

I don't need one , I don't care if they will build them or not but if they do I want to be able to purchase one with bitcoins.

[Matze]

I think once robots start taking so many jobs away they will start being not made anymore because people have to have jobs.

[ajareselde]

The technology to replace doctor and lawyer is almost here.

Think we will all be in trouble if prostitute and hooker can be replaced by bot.

They make pretty realistic sex dolls even now..
dont see why replacing prostitutes with sex dolls  would be a problem.

I only wonder how they react on customs when they are scanning packages, when they see human shape in parts within a box ^^
especialy those japaneese ones, which are by far most realistic

[Puberty]

With all the bombings and murders going on, we need more people giving their love to other people, not inanimate objects.

[Watoshi-Dimobuto]

No way I would prefer sexbots over real girls. If you haven't tried real girls try it, you will not look back to your sexbots. 

[beetcoin]

With all the bombings and murders going on, we need more people giving their love to other people, not inanimate objects.

you mean there needs to be more rape? cuz i'm not down with that at all.

[DavidHume]

With all the bombings and murders going on, we need more people giving their love to other people, not inanimate objects.

you mean there needs to be more rape? cuz i'm not down with that at all.

This sex doll can actually reduce rape crime if it is cheap enough.

[Gargulan]

The technology to replace doctor and lawyer is almost here.

Think we will all be in trouble if prostitute and hooker can be replaced by bot.

They make pretty realistic sex dolls even now..
dont see why replacing prostitutes with sex dolls  would be a problem.

I only wonder how they react on customs when they are scanning packages, when they see human shape in parts within a box ^^
especialy those japaneese ones, which are by far most realistic

The Japanese sex doll is still quite expensive. Think I saw a silicon sex doll costing over 100k dollars when I was researching one to replace my wife.

A third world wife only cost 6-10k.

[niothor]

No way I would prefer sexbots over real girls. If you haven't tried real girls try it, you will not look back to your sexbots.  

Have you tried a sexbot ? How can you be so sure about it. Probably in 100 years most of us won't be able to distinguished between the two of them.

I'm in no way promoting this kind of activity which might lead to more people turning into "Hikikomori" or "shut ins" (japan has already a huge problems with this but don't be so sure about how those will perform their duties.