Robo-I Do: Human-Robot Unions?

We can thank Shakespeare for the hackneyed adage that "love is blind." Indeed, the bard hit the nail on the head when it comes to those reckless acts we perform to impress the object of our affection. But what about honest-to-goodness love? Could someone care so deeply and blindly about—say—a robot? Would its automated responses soothe our troubled souls? Can metallic limbs sheathed in artificial skin give a warm embrace on a cold night?

If you were to ask David Levy, he'd undoubtedly say yes.

Be Mine, Robot Valentine

Levy, a British artificial intelligence researcher, is the author of the 2007 book, Love and Sex with Robots. In it, Levy argues that it's quite possible for people to be attracted to and even fall in love with robots and androids. Moreover, he predicts that by 2050, marriage between humans and robots will be legal.

Although Levy's thesis sounds like a plot point from a sci-fi paperback, he offers some compelling research to back it up. For instance, in an interview with Scientific American, Levy explained that some brothels in South Korea and Japan charge customers the same rates for having sex with a doll as they do for an actual prostitute. By extension, Levy contends that people would be just as interested in engaging with a robot to satisfy that desire for sexual variety.

Moreover, Levy believes that robots would finally offer a romantic option for people who prefer interacting with machines more than people. To make this point, he cites a student nicknamed Anthony who's profiled in Sherry Turkle's The Second Self, which explores the relationships people build with computers. Anthony experienced a lot of difficulty talking to girls, but he had no problem relating to computers. In situations like Anthony's, Levy thinks that robots would make fitting partners.

Not So Artificial Intelligence

As successive generations grow up better acquainted with robots in their daily lives, it could also dissolve social stigmas associated with robot-human unions. For instance, studies have shown that people naturally attribute human qualities to machines and that we're capable of relating to them emotionally. Humanlike robots, such as the Repliee Q1 invented at Osaka University, can also process information and respond more realistically than ever before. And as robot technology advances, people may forge close bonds with them—even to the point of desiring marriage.

Robo-ethics

Until now, Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics (which state that robots must obey humans and can't harm people or themselves) have been the standard for robo-ethics. Yet with the ever-increasing interaction between robots and humans, some in the robotics community fear that the sci-fi icon's rules are too basic.

In April 2009, Taiwanese robot experts called for global guidelines on robot behavior, including punishment procedures and a streamlined robot language. South Korea also adopted a Robot Ethics Charter in 2007, and the European Robotics Research Network plans to draft a similar set of guidelines. But as for human-robot marriage, Roomba lovers out there will have to wait for the courts to catch up to technology.