Loving a Robot: When Technology Enters Intimacy
Ljubljana, June 21, 2022 at 12:41, Show: Preverjeno
Introduction
The report by the show Preverjeno titled 'Loving a Robot' opens one of the most sensitive questions of modern technology: what happens to our experience of intimacy when we add memory, responsiveness, and artificial intelligence to objects? Does a doll with the ability to learn and adapt remain merely an object – or does it become a robot with which a human establishes a relationship?
🔗 https://www.24ur.com/novice/preverjeno/ljubiti-robota.html
From Object to Relationship
The basic premise of the report is simple but provocative: a human can become attached to an object if it gives them a sense of satisfaction. But when we add memory, responsiveness, and personalization to this object, the boundary begins to shift. The report follows the fate of three humanoids – human-like robots powered by artificial intelligence – and explores how people communicate with them, experience them, and attribute meaning to them.
Thus, the question touches not only on technology but on human psychology, loneliness, attachment, and the need for contact.
Technological Realism of Adult Dolls
The contribution also presents modern adult dolls, which are more technologically advanced every year. They are made to order, from medical silicone that feels like human skin to the touch and even emits heat. Personalization is almost complete – from body proportions to the smallest aesthetic details.
Žiga Sedevčič, president of the Dobra Družba organization, speaks about this in the report, having participated in equipping the first Slovenian doll brothel. He emphasizes that the market follows the desires of users and that technological development is extremely fast – both in the field of materials and software.
When Intimacy Digitalizes
The report does not give unambiguous judgments. Instead, it opens space for reflection: does technology fill the gaps that modern society cannot address? Is it a substitute for a relationship or its new form? And what ethical, social, and emotional consequences does this have for the future of human intimacy?
Especially important is the question of the boundary between use and attachment. When artificial intelligence begins to 'remember' preferences, respond, and adapt, the relationship subjectively changes – even if objectively we are still talking about a machine.
Why the Report is Important
Loving a Robot is important because it does not treat the topic sensationally. It is not about shock or provocation, but about exploring a future that is already here. The report shows that technological development in the field of intimacy is no longer science fiction, but part of reality with which society will have to face – legally, ethically, and humanely.
Instead of asking whether this is 'right' or 'wrong', the report poses a more essential question: what does this say about us and the world we live in.