Lumi Dolls robot brothel

Lumi Dolls is the world's first robot brothel. Located in Barcelona, Spain, the venue is staffed by four 'hyper-realistic' robot prostitutes that cost around EUR 120 an hour.

Lumi Dolls says the dolls are properly disinfected with antibacterial soaps before and after each client session. It recommends customers use condoms, which are reputedly provided free of charge. 

Operator: Lumi Dolls
Developer: Lumi Dolls
Country: Spain
Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts
Purpose: Provide sexual services
Technology: Robotics
Issue: Ethics/values; Anthropomorphism; Employment - jobs
Transparency: Marketing

Risks and harms 🛑

Lumi Dolls has been associated with the normalisation and objectification of human-like sex dolls, potentially reinforcing harmful attitudes towards women and relationships, and contributing to the commodification of intimacy and sexuality. 

Promoted as somewhere customers can act out their 'wildest fantasies', reports say it was forced to turn away individuals wanting to act out rape fantasies and paedophile abuse.

It also resulted in a backlash from the local community, and from human prostitutes concerned about losing their jobs, forcing the proprietor to relocate to a secret address.

The opening also prompted ethicists and civil rights advocates to voice their concerns about human-machine anthropomorphism. 

University of Sheffield AI expert Professor Noel Sharkey argued in a 2017 Foundation for Responsible Robotics report that guilt-free sex with a submissive doll or robot could encourage the objectification of women, abuse, rape, and paedophilia.

Page info
Type: System
Published: October 2021
Last updated: May 2024