Sheffield scientists claim sex robots will be common soon

Realistic sex robots will bring about a social and technological revolution in Britain, experts predict. While it might seem like science fiction, the machines are becoming increasingly sophisticated – and over the next ten years realistic sex androids will become more common, scientists say. But politicians and the public need to understand and deal with the ethical issues that sex robots will pose to society and relationships. This was the warning from Noel Sharkey, emeritus professor of artificial intelligence and robotics at the University of Sheffield, and Dr Aimee van Wynsberghe, assistant professor in ethics and technology at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands, as they launched a report on the issue yesterday. Supporters of the use of sex robots say they could be useful for lonely people or those unable to form relationships. But scientists yesterday sounded grim predictions about the'dark side' of the advancing technology, that could mean grappling with issues such as rape and paedophilia.