Love and Sex with Robots conference cancelled for fear people would have sex with robots

IF you were hoping to gain some expert knowledge on the ethics and practicality of intimate human/robot relationships, you’re going to have to wait a little longer as the second annual Love and Sex with Robots conference has been cancelled.




It’s like a scene from the Bodyguard, but way more hectic


The event was scheduled to be held in Malaysia from November 16 to 19, but as it directly opposes the country’s conservative values, local authorities deemed it to be illegal.
Inspector-General of police Khalid Abu Bakar said legal action would be taken against event organisers if the conference went ahead.
“I’m warning the organisers; don’t hold such conferences in Malaysia,” he said during a press conference.
“There’s nothing scientific about sex and robots.”
Organisers were quick to comply with the order, cancelling the event and posting a message on their website.
“Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Second International Congress on Love and Sex with Robots will be postponed until 2016,” the message read.
“The conference will definitely not be held anywhere in Malaysia. We deeply apologise to any person or any authority which have felt offence in any way.”
The event was the brainchild of David Levy, the author of Love and Sex and Robots, and Adrian Cheok, an Adelaide-born Professor specialising in human-computer interfaces.
After discovering they both shared an interest in the topic, they decided to hold the first annual Love and Sex with Robots conference in Portugal last year.
The event attracted more than 40 participants, who presented academic papers exploring the issues relating to human/robot relationships.
Mr Levy said interest in the topic had been growing since he predicted sex with robots would become reality by 2050 in his book.
“If you’ve got a robot that looks like a human, feels like a human, behaves like a human, talks like a human why shouldn’t people find it appealing,” he told news.com.au
While the conference was banned for fears it would encourage people to make love with robots, Mr Levy said the concept was just as much about companionship as it was sex.
“For whatever reason there are huge numbers of people who just don’t have a relationship with someone they can love and someone who can love them,” he said.
“For people like that, I think that sex robots will be a real boon. It will get rid of a problem they’ve got, fill a big void in their lives and make them much happier.”