Matt McMullen talks robots & relationships at Login 2018

Transit Lounge

Matt McMullen: “One day maybe people will identify as Robo-Sexual.” We discuss the nuances of sexual and gender politics around human-robot intimacy.

Robotics + AI + Society + Ethics + Sex + Technology + Innovation

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TRANSIT LOUNGE RADIO @ LOGIN 2018

CEO and Creative director at Realbotix

Matt McMullen, founder of Realbotix and Abyss Creations LLC, is a pioneer of sex robots. For over 20 years, he has been making the world’s most realistic silicone dolls, experimenting with the R&D of sex robotics and AI for the last four years. Realbotix, with the aim of creating lifelike robot platforms with customisable AI, have launched an app that allows the synchronisation of a bespoke AI personality with the robot head. They’re about to introduce a male version of the AI-powered robot.

[Edited Transcript]

This is not something that is going to take over the world, and all of a sudden all of us are going to be lonely and sad, because we don't have a robot.

I think that it's important to know that from my perspective, I always think of all the people out there who struggle to have relationships, maybe they've been through and had multiple deep meaningful relationships that ended very poorly. They've had their heart smashed so many times, they are just done with it, or maybe someone who has never had it, and we all need that.

I think if one looks at this with an open mind, and puts the sex off to the side for a moment, and realise that like a human relationship it's not just about sex. There's a lot of other mental and emotional layers to a relationship. And that's what the robotics and AI is about.

My vision for the future is a world where AI and robotics, kind of develop to the point where there are robots that look like Westworld but they're not bad guys. They're actually very helpful and important members of our society. I think that is an inevitable future, some people fear it.

I think ultimately, if we can create something so beautiful that actually helps us and creates a better world for us, that can live with us side by side. I think to get there we need to keep working very hard on the different technologies that go into it, and also have an open mind.

TRANSIT LOUNGE RADIO @ LOGIN 2018

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