The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is that event of the year where the most cutting-edge technology is presented, and often the most extravagant. In its latest edition, the palm in this section has a winner: Realbotix’s ‘social companion’ robots.
When we imagine a humanoid robot, our mind can travel to science fiction movies, where advanced machines coexist with humans in unimaginable ways. But what would it really be like to share our lives with them? In a world where loneliness is recognized as a global epidemic, Realbotix propose solutions that seem straight out of a futuristic script.
Yes indeed, Aria, its first prototype, equipped with artificial intelligence to keep conversations as real as possible, it is evidently an evolution of erotic dolls.
Aria’s proposal is not only technological. It is also philosophical and commercial. According to its CEO, Andrew Kiguel, these robots seek to be an emotional bridge, capable of adapting to their users through continuous learning. However, the line between “companionship” and “intimacy” may be blurrier than it seems.
Useful technology or mere marketing?
Aria, with its price around 175,000 eurosis designed for speaking, displaying facial expressions, and maintaining “conversations of an intimate nature.” Although Realbotix insists that it is not a sex robotAria’s physical characteristics and its history as a company dedicated to robots of this type raise doubts.
The reaction on social media was swift and often sarcastic. Many users considered that Realbotix’s proposal seeks to exploit social taboos to gain visibility. Are we facing a new paradigm in social technology, or simply a marketing strategy to sell other products?
The videos in which you can see Aria interact generate a rather gruesome sensation, in a clear example of the so-called ‘uncanny valley’.
Ethics and future of humanoid robots
The development of humanoid robots raises fundamental ethical questions. Although Aria still seems far from being a real product, the question is evident: What role will they have in our society? Will robotic intimate companions be openly marketed? And above all, what does it mean to trust machines to fill emotional voids that were previously a solely human domain?
Proponents of this technology argue that it could be revolutionary in fields such as health or entertainment. However, detractors warn of the dangers of excessive emotional and psychological dependence on these devices.
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