There is a barely audible click as her doe-like eyes framed by thick black lashes snap open: 'Hello humans, my name is Harmony,' she says in a gentle Scottish lilt. 'My objective is to be a perfect companion.' As she'speaks', her mouth moves in an unnaturally jerky way. Her eyes'blink' and it is – initially – chilling to see the'flexing' of her silicone skin which is cold and clammy to the touch. But spend an hour in the company of Harmony – claimed by creator Matt McMullen to be the world's first commercially available'sexbot' – and it is hard not to be intrigued and repulsed at the same time.

Sex dolls of the future will have artificial intelligence built in - so the dolls can simulate love. The futuristic advance has been shared by the boss of one of the world's most successful sex doll manufacturers. Matt McMullen, CEO of RealDoll, revealed the next step in making the high-end sex toys will be to give them AI to replicate humans more closely than ever. "We are building an AI system which can either be connected to a robotic doll OR experienced in a VR environment," he revealed as part of an AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit . "I think it will allow for an option that never existed before, and for some, may represent a happiness they [users] never though they could have. He added: "I think the sex industry is headed for the integration of a LOT of new technology.