Sex Robots: The Future of Sex Work and Sexual Engagement - Essay Sample

Introduction

Just like in any other technology, sex robots have the capacity for good and evil. Sex robots are becoming famous and are gradually replacing prostitution. There is no law governing the use of sex robots, unlike in prostitution, which is prohibited in some countries and states. These robots are the future of sex work as well as advancement in sexual engagements. Apart from sex work, robots are used by the elderly, especially those in care homes, for long-distance couples, as well as by couples who are victims of sexual assault. The Utilitarianism theory explains the relationship between sex robots and consent. The question, however, arises on whether sex robots can give consent or not.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Utilitarianism theory promotes actions that maximize happiness for the majority of the population (Mill, 2016). As per this theory, it is not important to take into account the interests of others as long as the majority of the population benefits from it. This means that in the context of sex robots, the consideration should only be on the pleasure and happiness achieved by the sex robots owners. This disregard for moral values is the reason why the theory has received criticism. The critics of utilitarianism theory also argue that happiness is important, but it should not be attained at the expense of other people.

When you think of the many people who derive happiness from the sex robots, you will understand why their use conforms to the utilitarianism theory. The sex robots benefit the elderly in the care centers, for example (The Conversation, 2019). For such a population, it can be challenging to get a human sexual partner. However, with the invention and advancement of sex robots, these people are fully taken care of. Although their use may be seen as immoral, there are benefits to those who depend on them for sexual pleasure. Therefore, although the entire population does not accept them, they are accepted by those whose life has changed because of them.

Robots are believed to benefit those experiencing loneliness as well as those who cannot commit themselves to human relationships. Take, for example, people who have experienced sexual assault. Such individuals would be uncomfortable with relationships as they fear that the experiences they had may occur. With sex robots, they can experience pleasure and happiness, just like those in human relationships or even more. Drawing argument from the utilitarianism theory it means that what matters is that the sex robot users are happy and not the source of their happiness. Sex robots can also be used in sexual therapy by physicians (Eichenberg, Khamis, & Hubner, 2019).

However, critics of sex robots base their arguments on their morality and ethics. One of the arguments against the use of sexual robots is that they may create a negative perspective of the opposite sex (Scheutz, & Arnold, 2016). The utilitarianism theory, in this case, would apply because the number of people who use sexbots is smaller than those who prefer being intimate with human beings. Their use, therefore, is not for the benefits of others, but it is rather for personal interest. Not even the sex robots have control of what they can get from their owners. If the robot is not programmed in a manner that facilitates communication, then it means that the owner can do anything to it, including rape. Well, the designers and users of the robots may argue that it is better to rape a robot than rape humans. As per this theory, a morally wrong act is sanctified if many people derive benefit or satisfaction from it.

In conclusion, utilitarianism is one of the theories that are fundamental in sex technology, such as the manufacture of sex robots. According to this theory, actions that maximize happiness for the majority of the population are promoted. As long as the majority of the population derives pressure and happiness from an action, then it does not have to be socially approved. Sex robots are instrumental in minimizing loneliness among people who have challenges engaging intimate relationships. Sex robots also eliminate suffering and promote happiness and pleasure.

The consumers of sex robots have reported satisfaction hence meeting the Utilitarianism theory conditions where the majority of the people have to get happiness and their well-being of the people that use the robots. The owners of the robots do not need consent when they need to use the robots because they do not share the robots with third parties (McDonell-Parry, 2017). Robots have convenience when compared to human beings because they are readily available without any excuses. The people who use the robots had complained that they were denied conjugal rights by their partners; hence, they needed a more convenient access to conjugal rights. The robots are an added advantage to the owners of the robots because they have the opportunity to make changes to the robots if they are bored by one robot and opportunity that is not available to people with partners.

There are also a variety of robots that are available for the customers to choose from. Utilitarianism focuses on the happiness of the people; therefore, when people are happy, the objectives of the film are fulfilled (Bates, 2017). The robots give the people the opportunity to not stop the trauma because of sexual assault from their partners when they demand sex while one does not have the mood of engaging in sex. People need to embrace the robots to reduce violence when were men attack women to get sex service. There are many cases of rape, and the robot can help to eliminate rape.

There is also the issue of dealing with age challenges where people want to have sex with young children, which lands them into problems with the law. The robots can be customized to fit any agent depending on the preference of the owner (Bates, 2017). This will help in reducing the conflicts that arise among partners because of dissatisfaction based on age. Some men accuse their women that they are old; hence, the use of age as a factor of the reason why they are not sexually satisfied with their partners. The owner of the robot has the freedom to use the robot in a manner that will make him or her get sexual satisfaction.

The sex robot will also reduce pressure on women that they need to look in a certain to be beautiful. The robots are variety and can be customized according to the preferences of the buyer (McDonell-Parry, 2017). The pressure on women to look in a way that will attract their partners to make women use chemicals that harm their health. The sex robot does not need to change their look to make the owner happy. The owner chooses the robot that he or she likes from the beginning. There are reported cases where children have done changes to their bodies without the consent of their parents.

Sex robots have changed sexual experience among the people; the robots are becoming more popular in different communities around the world. People and society, in general, need to embrace robots because they are eliminating many challenges that people face to access partners for sex (Frank & Nyholm, 2017). The robots will revolutionize the sex life of the people that have been facing challenges with their partners who are unable to satisfy them sexually. The challenge of using sex robots is that some cultures are opposed to robots. The people from such communities fear criticism; thus, they are less likely to use the robots.

References

Bates, L. (2017). Opinion | The Trouble With Sex Robots. Retrieved 3 December 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/opinion/sex-robots-consent.html

McDonell-Parry, A. (2017). Can Sex Robots Give Consent?. Retrieved 3 December 2019, from https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/sex-doll-robots-consent-760101/

Frank, L., & Nyholm, S. (2017). Robot sex and consent: Is consent to sex between a robot and a human conceivable, possible, and desirable?. Artificial intelligence and law, 25(3), 305-323.

Eichenberg, C., Khamis, M., & Hubner, L. (2019). The Attitudes of Therapists and Physicians on the Use of Sex Robots in Sexual Therapy: Online Survey and Interview Study. Journal of medical Internet research, 21(8), e13853.

The Conversation. (2019). Robots with benefits: how sexbots are marketed as companions. Retrieved 3 December 2019, from https://theconversation.com/robots-with-benefits-how-sexbots-are-marketed-as-companions-126262

Scheutz, M., & Arnold, T. (2016). Are we ready for sex robots?. The eleventh ACM/IEEE international conference on human-robot interaction (pp. 351-358). IEEE Press.

Mill, J. S. (2016). Utilitarianism. In Seven masterpieces of philosophy (pp. 337-383). Routledge.