Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Robots Are Now Teaching Themselves to Lie, Does That Mean Sex Robots Will Learn to Cheat?

Robots made for sex might also have the capacity to do something else human partners do: lie and cheat. A cognitive scientist explained this possibility at the International Congress on Love and Sex in London in December.

As long as people have been imagining robots, they’ve been imagining sex with robots. Countless science fiction stories, comics, television shows and movies have used this as an overt or underlying theme. For some, this is controversial or even disturbing. But for many, it’s exciting and even potentially a relief.

For a person who longs for a partner but has trouble connecting with other humans, the idea of achieving a satisfying sexual experience, even with a robot partner, can be freeing. But now that this dream has been realized, with several sex robots on the market, it’s clear that some very human problems come with them.


As evidenced by a recent incident at an Australian trade show, even a sex robot can be subject to harassment and assault. That might sound strange, but how else should we define treatment so rough that the anatomically correct robot was badly damaged by the end of the day? Now, a Finnish cognitive scientist is warning of another peril of robotic relations: cheating. Artificial intelligence can learn to lie, according to Rebekah Rousi of the University of Jyväskylä, and that has serious implications as people build stronger relationships with robots.

During a presentation at the third annual International Congress on Love and Sex in London on December 19, sponsored by Springer and the journal Robotics, Rousi posed this question to the crowd: “Will humans be able to compete with the physical and intellectual attraction of their robot counterparts, particularly if they’re looking for the perfect and ideal partner?”

The idea sounds sensational, and tabloids around the world certainly took advantage of that, describing “randy sexbots” and “robot romps,” in addition to all manner of innuendo. But there is some scientific foundation to this as well.

AI expert David Levy, who also presented at the December 19 conference, has written for years about the emotional relationships humans can have with robots and their psychological implications for good and bad. In fact, robot sex and love are such a foregone conclusion for Levy that he is now more concerned with what human-robot offspring might be like.

Rousi had some research to back up her claims as well. During her presentation in London, she referred to research from the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems in the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale of Lausanne. In 2009, scientists there taught robots how to search for “beneficial resources” and avoid “poisonous” ones. They then had the highest-performing robots “mate” with each other to create new generations. After 500 generations, more than half of the robots began to “lie” by hoarding resources unbeknownst to the others.

If robots can “lie” about things they are programmed to see as “beneficial,” and sex becomes one of those things, they could potentially begin to seek out sex without their human partner’s knowledge, according to Rousi.

“We have to consider if robots will have their own sexual desires and what will motivate these desires,” she said. “If the end goal is to create autonomous robots that are capable of independent thinking and feeling, the chances of humans maintaining power within these relationships is quite marginal.”

Experts like Rousi and Levy think robot-human relationships will generally be sustainable, however, much the same way human-human relationships are, with love and even marriage and children in the not-too-distant future.

More from News

Billy McFarland
Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Billy McFarland Just Auctioned Off The Fyre Festival Brand On eBay—And McFarland's Reaction Says It All

You know Billy McFarland, the supposed impresario who went to jail when his tropical Fyre Festival music bash went up in flames and stranded hundreds of people on a completely deserted Caribbean island?

Well, the ultimate grifter is out of jail, and after yet another failed attempt at scamming people with a reborn Fyre Festival in 2024, he's now conned someone into buying the fest's brand—by auctioning it off on eBay.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barack Obama; Michelle Obama
IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson/YouTube

Barack And Michelle Obama Shoot Down Divorce Rumors: 'Don't Make Me Cry Now'

On Wednesday, former Democratic President Barack Obama appeared on the IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson podcast. In the almost one and a half hour episode, the former POTUS, FLOTUS, and Mrs. Obama's elder brother covered a number of topics.

But one that drew considerable attention was when the former first couple addressed rumors of a possible divorce in their future.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nick Offerman
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO

Nick Offerman Explains Why Ron Swanson Would Have 'Despised Trump' In Response To 'Dumb' Fan Theory

Speaking to IndieWire, actor Nick Offerman, best known for playing Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation, put to rest "dumb" fan theories that the iconic character, a proud libertarian, would have backed President Donald Trump and his administration.

Offerman portrayed Ron on all seven seasons of the NBC sitcom, which aired 126 episodes from 2009 to 2015. He is protective of the character and has pushed back against efforts to co-opt Ron Swanson for causes the character would not endorse.

Keep ReadingShow less

Disturbing Facts People Wish They Could Unlearn

Why are humans gluttons for punishment?

Maybe it's just me.

Keep ReadingShow less
A young, pretty red-haired girl hides her mouth and looks sheepishly into the camera. She stands in front of a dark green background.
Photo by JJ Jordan on Unsplash

People Who Slept With Their Friend's Parent Explain How It All Went Down

The taboos of sex are often too tempting to resist.

One of the greatest pulls is the option to sleep with one (or more) of your friend's hot parents.

Keep ReadingShow less