Some thoughts on Cyberpunk, Sex, AI and robots in a cyberpunk game world.
Inspired by this article about a conference on future tech and basically sex with robots: London sex robot conference.
First I will say this is inevitable and to a limited scale is already happening. Basically it comes down to the simple old saying 'Sex Sells'. Mix that with humankinds ever increasing desire for more dazzling technology and we are on the road to sexbots. But I'll not focus on the real world here and move on into the gaming aspects.
Now one must also look at the kind of clientele businesses will attract with these and the kind of people they will sell to. Those who are lonely, socially inept and desperate will be the initial people with cash in hand to use AI sex bots when they become available. Coming in right behind those very quickly will be people with any sort of kink that most of society finds a bit 'taboo'.
So in your cyberpunk world you need to imagine the kind of shops that will be seen using these and how creepy they could appear to your characters. Imagine seeing a building set up to look like a school where all the bots are made to appear as young 'under the legal age' school girls. Double the creepy if the person paying for the time is allowed to stalk down their bot victims in a form of rape simulation. I mean unless a lot of detailed laws are passed this would all be legal.
Sex dungeons would be normal all of sudden. Attracting all of those with kinks or fetishes who were afraid to admit to what they wanted to a real partner because of the risk of rejection. Entire harems could be rented out to those with the cash. Let's not even begin to discuss celebrity look alike bots or even those who would be setting robot animals for use.
In some various society set ups it could make sex with a 'real woman or man' become a hot commodity. Or drive the prices for human sex workers further down since bots wouldn't complain and can just be used over and over again by a line of customers all night long.
Also, as the article linked to points out, there is some thought about the risk of being disconnected from humanity if you limit your sexual interactions with just the robot kind. So in games like Cyberpunk 2020 there could be a chance of humanity loss after a while. Or a development of mental issues in other games. Another affect could be similar to those that were shown in the movie Surrogate but more limited. Where the character would be at a loss and suffer from severe anxiety when it comes to sexual encounters with a real flesh and blood person.
So before you introduce them into your setting be sure to think out how they fit into that society you are building. What kind of economic side effects would be generated. What people think of those who choose to have artificial partners over actual ones. Not to mention classic scifi tropes like the robot that goes on a killing spree or becomes completely aware and doesn't want to do this anymore. Also while this sort of thing adds in some great seedy under belly of society story into your games it may not be for your players.
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