Turned On

The idea of the seductive sex robot is the stuff of myth, legend and science fiction. From the ancient Greeks to twenty-first century movies, robots in human form have captured our imagination, our hopes and our fears. But beyond the fantasies there are real and fundamental questions about our relationship with technology as it moves into the realm of robotics.

Sexual activity is central to our very existence; it shapes how we think, how we act and how we live. With advances in technology come machines that may one day think independently. What will happen to us when we form close relationships with these intelligent systems? Sex robots are here, and here to stay, and more are coming.

Turned Onexplores how the emerging and future development of sexual companion robots might affect us, and the society in which we live. It explores the social changes arising from emerging technologies, and our relationships with the machines that may someday care for us and about us. Computer scientist and sex robot expert Kate Devlin will be our guide as we seek to understand how this technology is developing.

Starting with a history of the artificial sexual companion, she'll explore the 'modern' robot versus the robot servants we were promised by twentieth century sci-fi, and will delved into our own psychology: how does desire affect our own behaviour, and can we become attached to an inanimate object? The book will answer all the questions you've ever had about sex robots, as well as the ones you haven't thought of yet.