ABSTRACT
The growing cultural conversation about sexual consent comes at a time in which new technologies with potential implications for sexuality norms are also beginning to emerge in the marketplace. ‘Sex robots’ – anthropomorphic sex toys ‘brought to life’ by artificial intelligence – are one such innovation. Critics suggest that making sex dolls more lifelike but not necessarily more realistic could erode cultural norms around sexuality, particularly regarding consent. Using qualitative content analysis, this study examined user discourse on the ‘Club RealDoll’ forum to investigate how Harmony, the artificially intelligent Android-based app behind Abyss Creations’ sex robot technology, engendered particular normative values and uncovered users’ preconceived attitudes about consent. These data ultimately revealed how the app’s gamified format promotes a set of flawed internal ethics, incompatible with broader societal ideals for positive and respectful sexual experiences. The results also suggested, however, that with purposeful design intervention, this technology could be ‘reprogrammed’ to provide clarity on the role of consent. Although the experience of using a physically integrated sex robot may intrinsically vary from that of the standalone digital app, these findings make a critical contribution to the conversation around emerging technologies and their effect on sexual relationship norms.
