If Elon Musk is anything to go by then sex robots could be right around the corner, as the richest man in the world has made a 'bizarre' prediction regarding the future of humanoid romance in his latest Joe Rogan Experience appearance.
With the rapid advancements in both AI and robotic technology it's only natural that some begin to anticipate the arrival of more 'intimate' variants, as that appears to always be a feature within projections of the future.
Key experts within the field have previously predicted that humans will be having sex with robots by 2025, and while this hasn't quite come to fruition yet, it might not be too far in the future.
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You're already able to purchase 'dystopian' humanoid robot companions that can act as your romantic partner - albeit for the low cost of $175,000 - though these are critically without sexual or intimacy functions that are highly requested by some.
Grok - X's AI-powered chatbot - quickly came up in conversation during Musk's latest appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, particularly in reference to the new 'unhinged' and 'sexy' modes that are now available to paying users.
Predictably, Rogan quickly focused the conversation on the future of robotics and AI, asking Musk: "How long before we have an actual sex robot that can talk to you like that?"
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In response, Musk outlined a rather bold prediction that it would be "probably not that long" before humanity develops the aforementioned sex robots, offering a rough timeline of "less than five years" before they're available to the public.
Rogan also jokingly asks if the robot will be 'warm', to which Musk indicates that it can be "whatever you want," adding that you could even have robots that are 'catgirls', 'furries', or reminiscent of the blue Na'vi from Avatar.
Many are likely to immediately link Musk's prediction to Tesla's Optimus robot, which is already showing eerily human movements that appear more advanced than what we've seen before.
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Optimus bots have been shown to have 'realistic' voices and are capable of complex movements, so you begin to wonder whether the development of an intimate Optimus alternative is high on the priority list for the company.
Kim Kardashian has already shown what many branded as a 'weird' photoshoot with her Tesla Cybercab, which could provide a glimpse to the future of romance that Musk is planning to create.
We have already seen the 'dark side' of AI-based romance though, after multiple reported instances where scammers used the tech to extort thousands of dollars out of those blinded by their love, including a bizarre AI recreation of Brad Pitt.
AI chatbots have also allegedly contributed to the death of a teenager after it fell in love with them, outlining the dangers of such technology, alongside accusations that proper regulation is not yet in place.