Child Robots Proposed to Treat Paedophilia

[6souls]

During a robotics conference last week, ethicists discussed the moral implications of using childlike-robots to help treat paedophiles.

The theory is that these machines would help provide a non-harmful outlet for an individual's sexual inclinations as part of a treatment programme. It's like providing methadone to heroin addicts, the reasoning goes.

Ronald Arkin, the mobile robot lab director at the Georgia Institute of Technology, was one of the participants at the conference who is in favour of pursing the idea. He told Forbes magazine's Kashmir Hill:

"There are no presumptions that this will assuredly yield positive results - I only believe it is worth investigating in a controlled way to possibly provide better protection to society from recidivism in sex offenders. If we can save some children, I think it's a worthwhile project."

Vice's Arielle Pardes says the logic of such arguments is straightforward:

"We realise that paedophilia isn't going anywhere, so we ought to find a way to deal with the lust for children in a way that keeps actual kids out of the equation. Hence, robots. It's child molestation, without the children."

But just because the idea may be good in theory, she writes, doesn't mean it could ever be implemented. First of all, current technology just isn't sophisticated enough to create a robot that "would be a passable substitute for real children".

Next is the concern that a child sex robot could encourage paedophiles to act on their impulses instead of serving as a safe outlet for them.

"If science fiction has taught us anything, it's that robots can be evil, but they don't have to be," she concludes. "People with deviant sexual desires are the same way. But we're not going to get anywhere with rehabilitating paedophiles if we treat them like monsters by encouraging them to go at it with weird, childlike sex bots."

Other commentators are less philosophical about the idea.

"As a mom and a woman I find nothing more vile than child predators and rapists, and even the idea of using metal and silicone computer humans to reform paedophiles upsets me," writes Eve Vawter for the Mommyish blog. "I'm not sure anything can be used to reform these people, and I have been known to say we should send them all to rat island where they can victimize each other and eat rats."

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-28353238
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/17295.htm
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirh...ts-inevitable/
http://www.vice.com/read/child-sex-r...rible-idea-717
http://www.mommyish.com/2014/07/17/c...#ixzz37pYfAw5z

[BerenTebogo]

They're going to have to make those robots at least 10 or 11 times hotter for me to get it on with them.

[BaneTheBrawler]

and if they do that, i wonder if the robots would violate kiddie porn laws.

[shepardG]

Where is rat island?

[Charismatic]

Wait... pedos get first pick when it comes to sex robots?
What is this shit?

[ronin sparthos]

They're going to have to make those robots at least 10 or 11 times hotter for me to get it on with them.

We'll tap Japan to solve that little problem.

[kuronosan]

Robot victims for serial killers, robot prostitutes for sex addicts, robot chicken for geeks paying attention and black people.... What's next? Total absence of self-control and promotion of well-being?

These people watched too much Purge.

[Kuya]

To be fair. Some people might be physiologically incapable of self control. We could use the robots, but we could always just kill them or put them in prison forever, if we're old school.

[Mertron]

scientific progress goes boink?

[Abandon]

To be fair. Some people might be physiologically incapable of self control. We could use the robots, but we could always just kill them or put them in prison forever, if we're old school.

correct

[Andalusian girls]

actually we can't, the Roberts Court ruled that capital punishment can no longer be used against individuals who only perform a sex crime, including the rape of a child who does not die. it is reserved solely for murderers and treasoners now.

[Kuya]

I'm partially satisfied with that. Would prefer complete abolishment of death penalty, but eh.

[Xno Kappa]

actually we can't, the Roberts Court ruled that capital punishment can no longer be used against individuals who only perform a sex crime, including the rape of a child who does not die. it is reserved solely for murderers and treasoners now.

EDIT1: Actually, the military apparently took it back a few months ago too lol.

EDIT: Anyways, I came into this thread straight thinking it was something out of Japan lol.

[BaneTheBrawler]

To be fair. Some people might be physiologically incapable of self control. We could use the robots, but we could always just kill them or put them in prison forever, if we're old school.

fix the ones we can, train the others to only use robots, and the remainder get fried. or whatever. easy-peasy.


until, of course, the pedos discover tumblr.

[Qalbert]

scientific progress goes boink?

i'm mad you beat me to this joke, well played

[Priran]

[kuronosan]

scientific progress goes boink?

I lol'd at this reference.

[Galkaeater]

what happens when robots get rights

[Cantih]

The hardware will likely not be installed with the class of software that would have/trigger rights. (Dumb scripted bots instead of true, strong AI)
Of course, then you'd have people go installing it anyway, committing a different kind of crime and then aggravating the charge.

[mallister]

oh hey, it's the precursor to the 2nd GitS movie. fucking wonderful.