Not Born but Made: Feminist Perspectives on Sex Robot Regulation

Abstract Sex robots are proposed by some as ideal partners, programmed to regulate the best emotional state, be always available, and never challenge their users. The reality of the development shows a gendered technology production, resulting in hyper-sexualised robots imitating an ‘idealised woman’ from a male perspective. This inherent misrepresentation has been met with criticism. Some scholars advocate for an outright ban, some see it as an opportunity for a better partnership, while others adopt a regulatory view to preserve the potential benefits of sex robots. This article examines these claims, particularly towards seeing the opportunity sex robots designed beyond the human form could provide. The paper rejects an outright ban and as a broader perspective questions the suitability of law as an instrument for approaching a technology with uncertain outcomes like sex robots. The claims of designing better sex robots are inspected against the background of the AI Act and the soft law instruments it provides to address the potential risks. To lead this discussion the paper adopts a feminist phenomenological lens while looking at the creation of these robots and what they could mean for the future of human relations.