Samantha sits upright on a table and awaits your every command with eager, penetrating eyes. Her makers are a husband and wife team, and they're preparing to ship her to Australia. Once she arrives at her destination, Samantha's unique artificial intelligence capabilities will be employed to service clients in a brothel. Thus begins "Sex Robots and Us", a frank and occasionally explicit look inside an underground industry that's quickly hurtling towards the mainstream.

Sex dolls are nothing new, but they've become more sophisticated than ever before. Silicone surfacing makes them feel more human to the touch, their animatronic reflexes are spookily accurate, and their level of interaction has been enhanced exponentially. They've also grown in popularity and acceptance by societies that are increasingly detached and isolated from person-to-person contact.

While male dolls do exist, they remain an extremely limited niche. Female models continue to dominate the industry by a wide margin.

The Future of Sex? | Sex Robots And Us


What could this mean for the future of healthy relationships? How is this redefining societal views on sex and desire in the 21st century? Do these robots satisfy a basic human need or intensify the development of sexual dysfunction and deviancy?