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28 September 2017updated 29 Sep 2017 7:15am

14 thoughts on the death of a sex robot

Some questions arising from the death of a robot in Austria.

By Stephen Bush

An artificial robot designed to stimulate the experience of sex with a woman has had to be repaired after hours of being groped and fondled at a convention in Austria.  I have…questions.

  1. Didn’t this all occur in a public space?
  2. I mean, even before you get into how essentially creepy the whole thing is, did this literally happen in public?
  3. Did men queue to do this?
  4. Was there a literal queue of men waiting to grope the sex robot?
  5. Did they make small talk in the queue?
  6. What was the small talk about?
  7. Did it relate to the matter in hand, as it were, or did they range across other topics?
  8. Were friendships formed as men discovered they shared an interest in the work of Martin Amis or the Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as fondling robots?
  9. Did they talk about their jobs?
  10. Were business cards exchanged?
  11. According to reports, the robot had to be sent back for repairs in a parcel, and some of its fingers were broken. Seriously, what?
  12. There was…fluid in the robot. Can I repeat my questions about a public space, in front of other people.
  13. Didn’t anyone notice that the robot was in distress?
  14. Are we the baddies?
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