The idea of your partner having sex with a robot might sound like the stuff of nightmares. But a new report has revealed that a quarter of people wouldn't mind - albeit with an important caveat. They would only excuse the tryst if the robot was modelled after them. Researchers from ZipHealth surveyed 1,000 people to understand how artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining intimacy and sexual health. 'How much trust would you place in artificial intelligence for your most personal concerns?' the team wrote in a blog.

Justine Bateman won't name names, but a TV showrunner friend once came to her with a dilemma: their show's team was well into filming its second season when a network executive had an idea. A character in the pilot hadn't tested well with audiences, so they were just going to go in, use a little AI, and swap in someone else. The showrunner – and Bateman, an actor and director – were understandably incensed. "When you change the beginning of something, you change the creative trajectory," says Bateman. "There's going to be whiplash for the viewer when they get to episode three or four because what was set up in the pilot got messed with and now doesn't make sense." Using AI might have seemed like a simple solution to the executive, but to the showrunner, it was catastrophic.

The idea of having sex with a robot might sound like the plot of the latest science fiction blockbuster. But a new report has revealed that a third of Britons wish it was a reality for them. The report by LELO, dubbed the Sex Census, quizzed thousands of Britons about their sex habits and desires. It reveals that a third of Britons have used, would use, or would'maybe' consider using a sex robot if an affordable option was released. And we're not just talking sex dolls here - sex robots refer to sophisticated devices that are integrated with AI, allowing them to move and talk just like real people.

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