In 2023 gender census According to a report from Swedish sexual wellness brand LELO, many of us will soon be enjoying AI as part of our sexual experience.business magazine forbes We agree, citing predictions that the best sex toy technology will reach a value of $122 billion in 2026.
Fantasies about the relationship between AI and sex technology are not new, at least in movies.Who can forget Eva and Kyoko? Ex Machinaor Scarlett Johansson’s AI character. sheBut with recent advances in both AI and VR (we’re looking at you, Lovense and Apple Vision Pro!), sex technology is no longer a creative fantasy, but is rapidly becoming part of our daily lives.? there is.
AI and sex technology: it already exists
AI is now present in the sexual wellness industry as smart sex toys have become quite common. Teledildonics (or cyberdildonics) are immersive technologies that stimulate surreal mutual masturbation between couples, or indeed with virtual beings. AI-powered sex toys are likely to emerge in the future, such as Autoblow AI+, a male masturbator trained on information gleaned from 1,000 hours of oral sex videos.
VR in the porn industry is a growing phenomenon. His largest site, VRPorn, currently receives approximately 8 million visits per month and can be viewed on devices such as Oculus Quest and Google Cardboard.
One of the more controversial developments in the AI and sexual wellness industry is the emergence of sex bots. Not to be confused with sex dolls. Sexbots can move, stand, and talk. Its brain and “personality” are controlled by a smartphone app. Because of the cost (around £7,000), sex bots are incredibly niche at the moment. There are also various concerns, including sexual objectification.
(Image source: Apple)
Nevertheless, the British seem enthusiastic. One-third of respondents LELO asked said they would use or would “probably consider” using a sex robot if an affordable option were available. The gender breakdown was 43.9% male, 21% female, and 71% non-binary.
A more common form of AI in sexual wellness is the use of chatbots as virtual sexual partners. Soulmate AI offered this service until it shut down in late 2023, leaving thousands of digisexuals heartbroken and turning to apps like Replika and Kindroid.
One in 10 people asked by LELO said they use (1%) or would like to use (7.8%) AI bots such as ChatGPT for sexual purposes. “Some people also enjoyed ‘online chats’ with bots to satisfy their sexual desires,” the report said.
Porn sites use AI to learn about users and create sophisticated algorithms that serve tailored content. As the relationship between AI, VR, and the porn industry deepens, users are expected to expect tailored videos. Of course, the industry is already facing intense criticism over the prevalence of deepfake videos.
The rise of AI in sex technology: good or bad?
(Image credit: Lovehoney)
The convergence of AI and the sexual wellness industry has many positives, suggests LELO: gender census report. AI could provide educational benefits or help people suffering from social anxiety or disabilities. “Furthermore, applying this technology to sex toys has the potential to provide consumers with a more personalized experience,” the report says.
Dr Joseph Walton, a research fellow at the University of Sussex, advises that the downsides include issues around privacy and data surveillance, algorithmic bias and the long-term psychological impact of data-driven personalization. Other concerns around objectification, consent, natural relationship building and marginalization of the LGBTQ+ community were also mentioned in his LELO report.
AI and the sexual wellness industry are already partners. For better or worse, more collaborations are promised in the future, so we’ll have to see what comes of it.
