Ya right, well I guess I can only speak for myself. How I am to know what those MIT students are doing late at night in the lab. When it comes to David Levy, I think his predictions of marriage to robots obscured. We are barely able to get a robot climb a set of stairs for under 50 million dollars. How are we expected to produce a machine to take us to “pleasure town” and back that people can afford?

The very thought itself scares the crap out of me! What if the thing goes haywire? The idea of penetrating or being penetrated by half a million Volts is terrifying.

Above: Maybe the fun doesn't just stop with the robot making you super!

I agree that the concept does make sense. After all we have learned about the Touring experiment, and how a human could not distinguish between a computer communicating with him or another person on the computer. If we were able to interface emotion and other sensory features that distinguish us as humans, then the idea is very possible. We have seen that the visual component of producing a machine to look like a human is within our capabilities. After all we live in a world of xxx realistic penis and vaginas’ anything is possible. Furthermore, if you look at the example of transsexuals, we have all heard the stories of guys going up to a “woman” later to find Josie was really Joe! If it looks really enough I guess people may be fooled into it. So for any of you worried about this very situation when it comes to robots, forget the condom, buy a metal detector.

"There's a trend of robots becoming more human-like in appearance and coming more in contact with humans," Levy states. Well I am in contact with my computer and TV and car everyday. I don’t have any unusual urges to “stick it” in the CD ROM drive or try to marry my 1998 Toyota Corolla. Its not that I’m manufaturistic (discriminatory against manufacturers), I just discriminate equally!

"If you have pedophiles and you let them use a robotic child, will that reduce the incidence of them abusing real children, or will it increase it?" Arkin said. This idea really gets my blood boiling! The very idea of sex with a child should not be encouraged whether it is with a child or a sheet metal, nuts and bolts. Owning a robot for sexual purposes would reduce the prostitution rates. Well how are prostitutes going to make a living? I once read many “good” prostitutes make more than many of the men working on Wall Street. ($100,000+ USD), why would we want to take their jobs from them?

Another statement Levy made was "But who knows, maybe some other relationships could welcome a robot. Instead of a woman saying, 'Darling, not tonight, I have a headache,' you could get 'Darling, I have a headache, why not use your robot?' " I don’t want to speak for women but I think the idea that you are having sex with something other than your wife may get you in hot water. Would it be considered unfaithful; after all, your are investing your emotional effort when you are having sex with the robot. Levy's arguement that the population will decrease is also bunk! If we look at the world today, developed natoions ( the ones that would be buying the robots), their population is currently not growing anyway. The developing nations who's populations are increasing will not have to worry about decreased in population becasue they do not yet have the resources or economy for such a robot. So, I think this whole idea of sex with robots and marriage is a total shame or sci- fi dreamed up by some bored people.

Just so you know, I will definitely not be running out to buy the first “Love Master 2000” complete with 5W30 dual purpose motor oil.

Maybe someday the woman in this picture will be replaced by the robot to her left!