I possibly cheated on my wife once. Alone in a room, a young woman reached out her hands and seductively groped mine, inviting me to engage and embrace her. I went with it.
Twenty seconds later, I pulled back and ripped off my virtual reality gear. Around me, dozens of tech conference goers were waiting in line to try the same computer program an exhibitor was hosting. I warned colleagues in line this was no game. It created real emotions and challenged norms of partnership and sexuality. But does it really? And who benefits from this?
Around the world, a minor sexual revolution is occurring. It's not so much about people stepping outside their moral boundaries as much as it is about new technology. Virtual reality haptic suits, sexbots, and even implanted sexual devices—some controlled from around the world by strangers—are increasingly becoming used. Often called digisexuality, some people—especially those who find it awkward to fit into traditional sexual roles—are finding newfound relationships and more meaningful sex.
As with much new technology, problems abound. Psychologists warns that technology—especially interactive tech—is making humans more distant to the real world. Naysayers of the burgeoning techno-sex industry say this type of intimacy is not the real thing, and that it's little different than a Pavlovian trick. But studies show the brain barely knows the difference from arousal via pornography versus being sexually active with a real person. If we take that one step further and engage with people in immersive virtual reality, our brain appears to know even less of the difference.
Another concern of this new tech is sexual abuse—what some call virtual rape. Cases such as those in Belgium, Australia, and Sweden highlight whether perceived violence in the clouds—especially in terms of roleplaying—can translate to harm in the real world. In some cases, online users were imitating sexual behavior via their avatars before the experience went badly and turned to abuse. New laws are being discussed to deal just with this issue.
The kind of online intimacy I engaged in involved using pre-choreographed footage, virtual reality googles, headsets, and haptic equipment including gloves. New equipment can involve your whole body-feeling tech and even scents. Users can engage in perceived physical contact following pre-scripted acting scenes by models. As long as a user doesn't know the scene, the engagement feels novel.
Programmers and filmmakers have their sights set on using celebrities and porn actors as avatars. If celebrities license their full personas to a virtual programming company, would virtual reality sex take off in a big way? The likely answer is: maybe.
Beyond virtual reality is the multi-million sex doll industry, where some users have bought their own partners. In some case, users even marry their robots. But higher-end real-life appearing sexbots cost nearly $10,000. And every few years, the bots need major upgrades to stay novel or they may be replaced. Another phenomenon about sexbots are brothels that rent them. A few have popped up recently in Toronto, Barcelona, and Moscow.
Of course, the holy grail for the techno-sex world would be a headset or implant that directly stimulates erogenous zones without the need for any outside interaction. Made famous in movies like Woody Allen's Sleeper where the orgasmatron is used, some physicians and entrepreneurs have attempted basic work on such a device. But so far no one has come forward with anything that could be made commercially viable.
While implants that stimulate the brain may still be lacking, there are already people who have tried implants in their genitals. Noted biohacker Rich Lee is working on creating a vibrator implanted under his penis that constantly stimulates him, which he calls the Lovetron 9000. Other Penile implants are already big business, though most are used for erectile dysfunction. And female (and male) vibrators that can be left inside people while at work or at place have also taken off in the market place.
Traditional couples may scour at all these new ways of tech-imbued intimacy. However, for the lonely, socially aloof, or experimental, this type of technology promises to open up a world of connection and promise. Not everyone is good at meeting others face to face and ending up in a relationship. Some people simply want to utilize technology to fulfill desires and end loneliness.
These new ways of embracing intimacy and connection should be supported. Society should avoid scorning a future of sexuality that uses technology to improve it. As long as it's legal and not harming anyone, people should be encouraged to find new ways of using innovation to satisfy themselves—and that includes much of what the world of technology can bring us.
Zoltan Istvan writes and speaks on transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and the future. His 7-book essay collection is called the Zoltan Istvan Futurist Collection, and he was the subject of the documentary Immortality or Bust.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
