Robots That Love

In a world of increasingly sophisticated AI, the relationship between creator and creation has shifted. Robot lovers coexist with humans, and the boundaries of emotion and consciousness are blurred. This book considers the fundamental challenge of imbuing robots with the capacity to experience love, delving into the consequences of loving robots that can only feign reciprocation. It also considers the philosophical questions about sentience and consciousness that arise with the emergence of robot companions.

While the central focus is on robots, other forms of artificial lovers are also considered, including ChatGPT, Samantha from the 2013 film Her, and a variety of sex dolls, monsters, golems, and romanceable characters in dating-simulation games. Such entities encompass a variety of sexual and gender identities, reflecting the diversity of human desire. This book explores the impact of gender biases inherent in the pursuit of creating the "perfect" artificial companion, and the ways in which such biases affect the design and development of AI systems. These biases, often perpetuated by deep-learning algorithms, underscore the need for critical reflection as the evolution of AI continues.