Technically Getting Off: On the Hope, Disgust, and Time of Robo-Erotics

Abstract

As robots evolve from functional machines to potential sexual companions, they embody both utopian hopes and dystopian fears. This article explores the ethical implications of sex robots, focusing on power dynamics, objectification, and gender performance. Through Ann Cahill’s concept of derivatization, the article argues for a nuanced understanding of sexual objectification in the context of robo-erotics. While sex robots offer new possibilities for intimacy and desire, they also risk reinforcing problematic gender norms and power structures. The article introduces a queer utopian framework, oscillating between hope and disgust, to examine how sex robots might subvert or perpetuate traditional scripts of sexuality. Ultimately, this work aims to situate sex robots within the broader landscape of technological advancement and its potential to reshape human sexuality.

Keywords

• sex robots
• objectification
• derivatization
• gender norms
• power dynamics
• robo-erotics
• queer utopia
• feminist ethics
• technological intimacy
• sexuality