Tag: rape

Sex robots and thought crimes

A recent op-ed in The New York Times discusses some ethical and moral issues with sex robots. In particular, the issues with one such robotic personality dubbed “Frigid Farrah” which the company describes in their FAQ as “reserved and shy”.

From the op-ed:

Frigid Farrah is not alone in providing her user with a replica of a human partner without the nagging complication of consent. […]

One of the authors of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics report, Noel Sharkey, a professor of artificial intelligence and robotics at the University of Sheffield, England, said there are ethical arguments within the field about sex robots with “frigid” settings.

“The idea is robots would resist your sexual advances so that you could rape them,” Professor Sharkey said. “Some people say it’s better they rape robots than rape real people. There are other people saying this would just encourage rapists more.”

Like the argument that women-only train compartments are an answer to sexual harassment and assault, the notion that sex robots could reduce rape is deeply flawed. […]

Rape is not an act of sexual passion. It is a violent crime. We should no more be encouraging rapists to find a supposedly safe outlet for it than we should facilitate murderers by giving them realistic, blood-spurting dummies to stab.

Now, I agree with the condemnation of rape. To their credit, True Companion now says in their FAQ (which may or may not have been there at the time the op-ed was published):

We absolutely agree with Laura Bates, campaigner and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, that “rape is not an act of sexual passion…”

Roxxxy, our True Companion sex robot is simply not programmed to participate in a rape scenario and the fact that she is, is pure conjecture on the part of others. […]

Frigid Farrah can be used to help people understand how to be intimate with a partner.

Rape simply isn’t an interaction that Roxxxy supports nor is it something that our customers are requesting.

That said, I would much rather someone rape a human-like robot instead of raping a real person. I understand others may not feel the same way, but I would compare an attempt to outlaw rape victim scenario robot software because others feel it can be used to practice for the rapes of real women paramount to banning certain video games like the Grand Theft Auto series because they can be used to practice real scenarios of crime and evading arrest. If you think the latter is just plain silly, you understand how I see the former.

The logical extreme of this–and I use the word “logical” a bit loosely here–is to make it a crime to partake in a simulated rape involving a sex robot. We already have laws that have run amok outlawing the possession of simulated child porn (not involving actual children). The original purpose of child porn laws was to prevent child abuse, similar to the actual laws against child abuse itself. If there are no children involved, all you really have left is thoughtcrime (a la George Orwell’s 1984). There are people who have been arrested and convicted for possessing only simulated child porn. While I find even simulated child porn repulsive, having our laws establish crimes where there is no real victim makes me even queasier.

Not surprisingly, there have also been calls for child sex robots to be banned at least in Britain, per the op-ed. I would certainly hope the demand for the child-sized versions to be in much lower demand. I find the sexual abuse of children particularly revolting, and I would expect most of decent society to concur. Again, better a robot than the real thing. The perverts get their perverse desires satisfied, no humans are harmed, and everyone wins.

Unless, of course, the legislators run amok and outlaw them. When child-size sex robots are outlawed, only outlaws will have child-size sex robots, and yet another thoughtcrime will be on the books. Can someone please remind our legislators that George Orwell’s book 1984 is not an instruction manual?

Matt McMullen, quoted in a linked article from The Guardian in the op-ed summarizes it rather nicely:

“Is it ethically dubious to force my toaster to make my toast?”

Weighing in on the Brock Turner controversy

While a bit old, the basic issue behind the controversy surrounding this case will remain timely for quite some time, and is similar to the central issues in prior posts to this blog.

For those unfamiliar with the Brock Turner case, this Wikipedia article offers a summary, as well as the news articles it links to therein. In the following paragraphs, I am assuming at least a basic layman’s familiarity with the case so I’m just going to get right into my thoughts.

My first thought centers around the sentence as approved by Judge Aaron Persky. I am only vaguely familiar with his history, mostly what is mentioned in the Wikipedia article. The only other case which was noteworthy to make the Wikipedia article about him was regarding a civil suit about a gang rape of a female victim by male athletes from De Anza College. That case was found in favor of the defendants, notably after Judge Persky allowed seven photos of the plaintiff taken at the party to be viewed by the jury.

With that in mind, the facts are that the probation department recommended a relatively lenient sentence:

Santa Clara County probation officials, including his probation officer Monica Lassettre, recommended that Turner is given a “moderate” county jail sentence with formal probation:

During the presentence interview, the defendant expressed sincere remorse and empathy for the victim. In determining an appropriate recommendation, this officer considered myriad factors, including the impact of the crime on the victim and the safety of the community. Other factors included the defendant’s lack of a criminal history, his youthful age, and his expressed remorse and empathy toward the victim. Based on the aforementioned information, a moderate county jail sentence, formal probation, and sexual offender treatment is respectfully recommended.

With that in mind, Mr. Turner serves his jail time (and gets credit for good behavior). Then he comes back to people protesting out in front of his house and threatening him. I get the impression these people are actually angry at the lenient sentence approved by Judge Persky. They need to take it up with Judge Persky or add their voices to the people seeking to recall him from the bench. Mr. Turner’s role in this is to complete his sentence and abide by his conditions of probation for the next three years.

I don’t condone what Mr. Turner did. I find rape and sexual assault rather revolting, but as I have said before this country is a country ruled by law, not by vigilante justice. I am disgusted that people have taken it upon themselves to protest in front of his house. All that does is make the protesters look like a bunch of animals. This isn’t the jungle, and the human race as a whole is more intelligent than that.

As a very brief aside here, there are two things about this case that are unusual compared to the law and the way things are done here in Texas. First, it is unusual to me here in Texas to read about a judge presiding over both criminal and civil cases in the same court. Here in Texas there are civil courts and criminal courts and different judges preside over each. Though it is possible for a criminal court judge to later be elected to preside over a civil court and vice versa, it would be for different terms and judges are only up for re-election once every six years.

The second, more on topic, is that county jail time given as a condition of probation is served day-for-day here in Texas; probationers here do not get the good behavior credit that Mr. Turner got.