Cyber small death

21st Century Dating

Like the millennia before, humanity’s basic urges did not change. Humans still wanted to feed themselves, shelter from the elements, feel connected to others, procreate, ... The only thing that changed drastically over the years, was how technological inventions changed the way these needs were met. For example, humans started to farm food, then genetically manipulate it, then grow it from scratch in a lab.

Technology did the same for dating. First, people met in public places like at a dance, then they started meeting in online chatrooms, then services sprang up that claimed to match people with their soulmates based off a picture and a short bio. But by the 2030s, users of these types of services grew wary of their low success rate. Sure, a one-night stand was easy to come by – but what about a real connection, a perfect fit – both biologically and psychologically?

When the process of DNA profiling became quick and affordable to the wider pubic, dating services saw their chance. They started collaborating with personal genomics and biotechnology companies. Importing DNA data into a dating app was optional, but quickly welcomed by everyone looking for their perfect date. As it was possible to come up with multiple biological matches, an additional process was added to complement the search for the perfect mate through deep learning and mining the massive amount of behavioral data collected on dating sites in the last 30 years. In short: after a series of attempts to design the best way to match people, our society settled for DNA matching and AI personality models: self-developed algorithms superior over similarities, opposites, astrological signs or Myers-Briggs acronyms, to perfectly match couples based on characteristics they’re compatible with.

When we were collectively used to more successful matches in digital dating, the majority of encounters still resulted in face-to-face meetups. But as technology developed further, this was no longer necessarily the case. Some relationships started – and stayed – exclusively digital. Those, of course, implied one of the partners being fully imaginary and virtually available 24/7. Deepfake technology came in handy for this one.

Dating simulation VR games became increasingly popular as well. Based on a user's profile, AI would generate partner profiles a user would be compatible with the most. That user could then virtually date in VR for a period. This became part of the offer – the more exclusive dating platforms offered deepfake counterparts of their actual members, so they could test potential matches hassle-free. The platform owners argued that this kind of simulation dating would allow users to know the likely outcome of relationships in advance. Or to train those who felt awkward and inexperienced in romantic situations so they were prepared once they met their real match. Or, in case of really high-profile users, to train potential matches how to behave in specific restaurant situations, how to make polite conversation, and how to move in more delicate social situations. In short, to have a better understanding of what to take note of when meeting their future, in-flesh partners and how to make sure the match would start off on the right foot.

Another type of dating that emerged, was hybrid dating, marketed towards introverts, people seeking privacy and relationships beyond the influence of the physical vessel or status and wealth. Hybrid dating became common in all dating apps and consisted of robots piloted by a real person going on a date with another real person in the real world. It allowed for a fair amount of privacy from the intruding lenses of the paparazzi. These types of datingbots would become popular amongst high-profile and political figures.

It wasn’t until artificial intelligence was infused into those datingbots, that they started to have a wider societal impact. These bots were recommended to people suffering from chronic loneliness. Yet dating and companionship weren’t the only things that changed. Intercourse did too. The porn industry has always been quick to innovate, and after the 2020s their inventions continued to trickle down into people’s sex lives. 30 years ago, for example, no one would’ve guessed that sex workers would utilise Snapchat and OnlyFans, initially founded to be a membership platform like Patreon, to sell their services. In the 2040s, the porn industry was the first to use AI robots for personalised intercourse. Those wanting an advanced experience could incorporate a VR sex suit (referred to as simsuit in Valentine’s story) to heighten the immersive aspect of their experience.

These AI powered robots could ‘remember’ data from previous sexual encounters (including from the simsuit, if one was worn) and their algorithms could use that data to calculate the best user experience for next time. But as these robots could also interact with their users in a way that simulated relationships, there was a sudden spike in human-robot marriages. The governments of countries where people could afford this expensive equipment, saw a radical drop in the number of births and had to step in. They created legislation that forbade the use of socio-emotional algorithms for sexbots. Other countries, where overpopulation or human trafficking was a big concern, governments legalized the use of AI powered sexbots - but only as sex workers. They issued standardised models, made them available in specific locations for standardised usage fees. It was not a huge success. The idea of the government having access to intimate data that could be traced back to an individual person, put a lot of people off.

Another measure that lots of governments took to decrease the emotional attachment to sexbots, was to forbid manufacturers to give their robots a gender identity. In a post-heterosexual society, no one really cared about gender labels, but their usage was more than discouraged. Features such as chest size or bottom attachments were to be sold separately, as users were not able to filter through robot models via a female or male gender filter.

In the end, dating and intercourse simply became a spectrum that ranged from fully natural to fully digital and everything in between. Those who could afford a more expensive model, like Rick in the story, ordered changeable parts and simsuits that could be operated at a distance. They used technology to connect with their loved ones across time and space, to fulfil that most basic need: to feel as close as they can to the people they love.

Falling for a DeepFake

The idea of robots goes way back in history, with Leonardo da Vinci thought to be the first one to try building a humanoid one in 1495. 

Fast forward to the 2020’s, where we’re witnessing Nao robots playing soccer, Atlas doing backflips, and Sophia being a full-blown Saudi Arabian citizen who’s rumoured “technical glitch” at an event in 2016 made her say that she’d destroy humans. Now those, including the Tesla bot that’s in the making, are robots you probably heard of. But there are other interesting android inventions that are just as exciting.

OriHime-D is an avatar robot, developed by Ory Laboratory. Using this robot, people teleworking or those with disabilities can control it to do physical work such as customer service, or to carry things. This is where the idea behind robots being used as vessels by private people for dating comes from. “Why should humans only have one body?” is a valid question proposed by Kentaro Yoshifuji, CEO of Ory Laboratory.

Realbotix is developing the first sex robot, Harmony, with AI that monitors users' moods, preferences, and behavioural patterns, has synced eyes and mouth movements, articulated neck, and other features, all of which add up to the illusion of intimacy. Similarly, sex robot Samantha, created by Arran Lee Wright, uses AI to respond to different scenarios and even tells jokes. A recent update to the robot allows her to say no when she’s not “in the mood”.

Miim is a robot that can walk, dance, and talk and its moving capability can be compared to those of Atlas robots. It has even walked a fashion show in 2009.

It’s to be assumed that some relationships will be exclusively digital, and with virtual partners. An example of how it translates to the time we’re living in today is RealDollX app. With the app, you can make a unique companion character with a custom voice, looks, personality, avatar, and fashion sense. Users can talk, flirt and work on their seduction skills with the companion they made. While we’re unlikely, to see real public personas with famous deepfakes like Tom Cruise or President Putin collaborate with these apps to enable users to date characters looking and sounding like them, it’s not hard to imagine Z-list celebrities living off of selling personalised videos on cameo to eventually hop on the opportunity.

Dating simulation VR games are not new either. LovePlus was a 2009-released male-centred dating simulation game that allowed the user to have three girlfriends with unique personalities. The user allocated boyfriend points to each with the ultimate outcome of the game is choosing one of them. 2019 version of Sakura Wars introduced the dating simulator section to the game as well. 

Combining dating simulation with VR isn’t so distant either. VR Reality Sex Suits are already being sold, but in fact, aren’t revolutionary at all. They combine VR-type headset we're familiar with, a game simulating sex, Tenga masturbator, and a pair of fake breasts. Nevertheless, looking ahead, we’ll see a combination of VR headsets and haptic bodysuits. TeslaSuit, which has nothing to do with Musk’s Tesla Bot, delivers haptic feedback, allows motion capture, and measures biometrics.

Perhaps the biggest surprise lies in the realm of DNA dating. DNA Romance is an online dating site that forecasts romantic chemistry between people using DNA markers that play a role in human attraction. They additionally forecast personality compatibility using psychology and allow users to evaluate psychological attraction based on their matches’ photos and biographical details.

Havas’ study conducted in 2017 revealed that 27% of millennials would consider dating a robot, with men being three times more likely to do so than women. But interestingly, according to Lovers Stories’ survey, 69% of Millennials own a sex toy, and nearly half say they will add it to their collection in 2020. And as of recently, there has been a huge rise in women owning sex toy businesses and being actual users of them. Statista predicts the sex toy market will grow by almost 10% between 2019 and 2026.

Being that humans are amongst very few species that have sex for pleasure, and hence have sex more often than other species, having sex with robots could prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexual disease transmission. 

Though it’s hard to predict the rate of growth or fall in birth rate, in case it does grow, and it does so rapidly, we might see governments impose robots as solutions to slow down the overpopulation of the planet.

It might also reduce mortality associated with loneliness. A 2010 analysis of 300,000 people in 148 studies found that loneliness is associated with a 50% increase in mortality from any cause. This makes it comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and more dangerous than obesity.

Having sex with robots might find some objections at first from the sex workers, until they realise it’s a lot safer to do sex work online anyway, while the rest is indulging in sexual activities with robots or their partners. Users are already joining websites like OnlyFans and creating their own websites where they sell explicit content. It is likely we’ll see more of them completely detach themselves from their sex worker personae by using deepfakes while providing voiceover in the content they make. Some of them were already doing so until OnlyFans announced they’ll be banning sexually explicit content and deepfakes.

This, however, resulted in creators leaving their platform for others where they can still share the content they produce. Sex workers have been using Snapcash to earn money via Snapchat, Youtube to promote their websites, and Twitter to post nudes way before OnlyFans was in the game.

It’s not hard to visualise the “vision” since most of the tech is already here: the robots, the haptics, and the VR. It’s only a matter of how fast humans will adapt to this new, artificial and robotic sexual environment.