Sex, Intimacy & Automation

Sex, Intimacy and Automation

This line of research explores how technologies like sex robots and online dating apps transform intimacy in our “liquid” modern world — tracing both the vulnerabilities they create and the opportunities they open for human connection.

Sex Robots

Sex robots and the AI Act

Opening the Regulatory Discussion

Rigotti, C. & Fosch-Villaronga, E. (2025) Sex Robots and the AI Act: Opening the Regulatory Discussion. IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, 2-7, https://doi.org/10.1109/MRA.2025.3590611.

The emergence of sex robots—human-like machines offering sexual and emotional services—has ignited contentious debates over their societal impact. Advocates glorify their potential to provide companionship, meet sexual needs, and diversify intimate experiences, while critics warn of risks, including the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes, hindered human connections, and threats to data protection. Against this backdrop, questions arise about the adequacy of existing regulations to address the societal implications of these novel human–robot interactions. Considering these questions and societal implications, this article examines the regulatory challenges surrounding sex robots, specifically exploring their potential inclusion under the AI Act (AIA). As a landmark legislative framework, the AIA establishes minimum standards for developing and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) systems across the European Union (EU), emphasizing their trustworthiness and alignment with fundamental rights. Although sex robots are not explicitly referenced in the AIA, their AI functionalities could position them within multiple risk categories defined by the AIA, each with distinct legal obligations. By analyzing these legal classifications and the corresponding obligations for manufacturers, this article lays the groundwork for an initial regulatory framework to oversee sex robots, ensuring their safe integration into society.

Sex Robots in Care

Setting the Stage for a Discussion on the Potential Use of Sexual Robot Technologies for Persons with Disabilities

Fosch-Villaronga, E., & Poulsen, A. (2021, March). Sex Robots in Care: Setting the Stage for a Discussion on the Potential Use of Sexual Robot Technologies for Persons with Disabilities. In Companion of the 2021 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (pp. 1-9).

Although every human should enjoy physical touch, intimacy, and sexual pleasure, persons with disabilities are often not in the position to fully experience the joys of life in the same manner as abled people. The United Nations stated in 1993 that persons with disabilities should enjoy family life and personal integrity and should not be denied the opportunity to experience their sexuality, have sexual relationships, and experience parenthood. However, after nearly 30 years of discussion, universal access to sexual and reproductive health remains an unfinished agenda for the disabled, as if society failed in recognizing people with disabilities as sexual beings. In this respect, a growing body of scholars have started to explore the idea of using technology to help disabled people satisfy some of these needs, although not without controversy. In concrete, ideas surrounding the use of robots for sex care purposes have been put forward, as service robots performing actions contributing directly towards improvement in the satisfaction of a user's sexual needs. This paper continues to explore the potential use of these robots in disability care for sex care purposes, including for those with physical and mental health disabilities, which is currently underexplored. Our contribution seeks to understand whether sex robots could serve as a step forward in realizing the sexual rights of persons with disabilities. By building on a conceptual analysis of how sex robots could empower persons with disabilities to exercise their sexual rights, we hope to inform the policy debate around robots' regulation and governance and set the scene for further research

Sex care robots

Exploring the potential use of sexual robot technologies for disabled and elder care

Fosch-Villaronga, E. and Poulsen, A. (2020) Sex Care Robots. Exploring the potential use of sexual robot technologies for disabled and eldercare. Paladyn Journal of Behavioral Robotics, 11, 1–18

The creation and deployment of sex robots are accelerating. Sex robots are service robots that perform actions contributing directly towards improvement in the satisfaction of the sexual needs of a user. In this paper, we explore the potential use of these robots for elder and disabled care purposes,which is currently underexplored. Indeed, although every human should be able to enjoy physical touch, intimacy, and sexual pleasure, persons with disabilities are often not in the position to fully experience the joys of life in the same manner as abled people. Similarly, older adults may have sexual needs that public healthcare tend to ignore as an essential part of their well-being. We develop a conceptual analysis of how sex robots could empower persons with disabilities and older adults to exercise their sexual rights, which are too often disregarded in society. Our contribution seeks to understand whether sex robots could serve as a step forward in enhancing the care of (mainly but not exclusively) persons with disabilities and older adults. By identifying the potential need to incorporate sex within the concept of care, and by exploring the use of robot technology to ease its materialization, we hope to inform the policy debate around the regulation of robots and set the scene for further research.

Online dating apps

Swiping safely in

online dating platforms

Fosch-Villaronga, E., Hoyos, M. de, & Witting, S. (2025) Swiping Safely in Online Dating Platforms. IEEE Security & Privacy, Gender and Sexuality in Online Safety, 1-11, https://doi.org/10.1109/MSEC.2025.3575816.

Online dating platforms dominate intimate relationship initiation but entail risks. We assess whether the European Union Digital Services Act protects users from these risks and provide recommendations to improve the experience and safety of online dating.

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