AI-powered sex robots are selling well during lockdown – which worries some experts, who say that they can introduce some surprising regulatory problems
Sex robots empowered with artificial intelligence that allows them to converse have seen a boom in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, their makers say — providing important companionship to those left isolated. "Suddenly you're talking to a robot – not a device, not a computer screen, or a cylinder that's sitting on your desk. You're talking to something that looks like a human being, and that's where the magic happens," says Matt McMullen, CEO of Realbotix, a five-person Southern California company. Sales are up at least 50% during the COVID-19 pandemic, which he chalks up to loners needing companionship – and considering an option they might not have previously. "I think that maybe someone would relax their thinking about something like this, given the current state of the world," McMullen said. "Maybe in the past they would be sort of hesitant, or think, 'What's wrong with me that I'm considering this?' I think people are g