Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots

by Kate Devlin

Overview

'Illuminating, witty and written with a wide open mind' - Sunday Times

An exploration of humans, sexuality, interaction and technology through the lens of the sex robot.

The idea of the seductive sex robot is the stuff of myth, legend and science fiction. From the myth of Laodamia in Ancient Greece to twenty-first century TV shows such as Westworld, robots in human form have captured our imagination, our hopes and our fears. But beyond the fantasies there are real and fundamental questions about our relationship with technology as it moves into the realm of robotics.

Turned On explores how the emerging and future development of sexual companion robots might affect us and the society in which we live. It explores the social changes arising from emerging technologies, and our relationships with the machines that someday may care for us and about us. Sex robots are here, and here to stay, and more are coming.

Computer scientist and sex-robot expert Kate Devlin is our guide as we seek to understand how this technology is developing. From robots in Greek myth and the fantastical automata of the Middle Ages through to the sentient machines of the future that embody the prominent AI debate, she explores the 'modern' robot versus the robot servants we were promised by twentieth century sci-fi, and delves into the psychological effects of the technology, and issues raised around gender politics, diversity, surveillance and violence. This book answers all the questions you've ever had about sex robots, as well as all the ones you haven't yet thought of.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472950871
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/18/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	952 KB

About the Author

Kate Devlin is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Digital Humanities at King's College London. Having begun her career as an archaeologist before moving into computer science, Devlin's research is in the fields of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), investigating how people interact with and react to technology in order to understand how emerging and future technologies will affect us and the society in which we live.

A few years ago, Kate began to explore the particular ways in which sex, gender and sexuality might be incorporated into cognitive systems such as sexual companion robots; since then she has become a driving force in the field of intimacy and technology. She has written articles on the subject for New Scientist, Prospect and i, appeared on BBC Radios 1–5, and made a number of TV appearances.

@drkatedevlin
Kate Devlin is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Digital Humanities at King's College London. Having begun her career as an archaeologist before moving into computer science, Devlin's research is in the fields of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), investigating how people interact with and react to technology in order to understand how emerging and future technologies will affect us and the society in which we live.

A few years ago, Kate began to explore the particular ways in which sex, gender and sexuality might be incorporated into cognitive systems such as sexual companion robots; since then she has become a driving force in the field of intimacy and technology. In short, Kate has become the face of sex robots – quite literally in the case of one mis-captioned tabloid photograph. She has written articles on the subject for New Scientist, Prospect and i, appeared on BBC Radios 1–5, and made a number of TV appearances, along with TEDx talks and numerous other tech and philosophy events, receiving significant media coverage on the way. She was probably the first person to say 'sex robots' in the House of Lords – in an official capacity, at least.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: Been There, Done That
Chapter 2: I, For One, Welcome Our New Robot Overlords
Chapter 3: On Paperclips, Cats and Zombies
Chapter 4: You Had Me at 'Hello World'
Chapter 5: Silicone Valleys
Chapter 6: Killer Gynoids and Manic Pixie Dream Bots
Chapter 7: It's All Academic
Chapter 8: Utopia/Dystopia
Chapter 9: Law and Disorders
Chapter 10: What Comes Next?
Epilogue: Better Loving Through Technology
Select References
Acknowledgements
Index

Editorial Reviews

An immensely absorbing and provocative book on the past, present, and future of robosexuality . . . A curiously fascinating study.” —Kirkus

“Illuminating, witty and written with a wide open mind.” —Sunday Times

“A lively, waggish guide to these uncharted waters, tracing ethics, sexuality, intimacy and the uncanny.” —Tatler

“A highly readable romp through the history of computers, robots and sex toys [...] A fascinating introduction to the state of sex-tech.” —Science

“For fans of Humans, Westworld and I, Robot. Or anyone who's ever enjoyed a flirtation with Alexa. Devlin takes us right through the AI revolution and its potential impact on our relationships [with] a relaxed and chatty tone.” —Cosmopolitan

“An engaging survey of the history of humanoids.” —Financial Times

“A timely, vital treatise [...] With charm and wit she tackles thorny issues.” —Wired

“An unusually cool-headed tour of the current sexbot terrain. [...] Devlin's calmer, more evidence-based middle path seems appealing, especially in an area where so much polemic has already risked deadening the nerves.” —Harper's Magazine

“One of Devlin's achievements is to humanise the sex robot makers and users – we are invited not to laugh at them, but to understand them.” —The Times

“Big on breadth and charm ... loaded with facts and anecdotes.” —The Saturday Paper

“This brilliant book is an intelligent, clear-eyed and often very funny deep dive into the history and future of love and machinery.” —Warren Ellis, author of Transmetropolitan

“After millennia of fornicating with foreign objects, the ultimate sex toy has finally arrived. Kate Devlin unpacks the very long, very dense history of the sex robot with style and wit. Spoiler alert: we haven't reached Westworld ... yet.” —Christopher Trout, Editor-in-Chief, Engadget

“In Turned On, Kate Devlin – the thinking person's navigator to the complex and potentially life-enhancing terrain of the sex robot – looks at the history of AI-enhanced erotic toys, then ventures far beyond our wildest imaginings.” —Rowan Pelling, Editor of The Amorist

From the Publisher

2018-09-25

A curiously fascinating study on the evolution of personal-use robotics in contemporary society.

A researcher in human-computer interactions, Devlin's (Computing/Goldsmiths, Univ. of London) interest in sex robots began after socially interacting with the innovative wizards behind their automation. She taps into the many conversations she's had with fellow "robosexologists" and confirms that robotic intelligence is increasingly becoming "integrated into our everyday lives." The author discusses the popularity of virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri and humorously surmises that for every command to play music, there is someone barking sexually lewd orders just to see what happens. "If it exists," she writes, "people will try to corrupt it." Though the closest commercially available product to real-life sex robots is the RealDoll, Devlin believes the future possibilities are as endless as the ethical complications they inspire. Meanwhile, readers will enjoy the history of artificial sexual stimulation, courtesy of the author's brisk histories of early string and lever versions of robotic mechanisms seen in ancient Rome and Egypt, the origins of the female vibrator, and a humanoid prototype named Pepper among other thinking and teaching machines made for human companionship and development. Chronicling her interviews with a generous sampling of sex experts, Devlin also explores the titillating world of "teledildonics" (internet-synced smart sex toys) and techno-enhanced pleasure bots, and she works to debunk the industry's myths and correct misconceptions. Throughout, she presents her material with intelligence, a clever wit, and a charming sense of humor. Her thoughts on traditional attitudes toward sex, emotional attachment, and misappropriation add clarity and perspective to a narrative that reads as more than a simple discourse on bridging robotic automation and artificial intelligence with adult novelty. Her visit to a sex doll factory provides a future-forward glance at the race to capitalize on this fascinating (and lucrative) niche market, which technologically and erotically bridges the gap between the artificial and the biological.

An immensely absorbing and provocative book on the past, present, and future of robosexuality.

Kirkus Reviews