Roxxxy sex robot 'Frigid Farrah' rape simulation

A sex robot with a 'resist' function that let men simulate rape prompted ethicists and commentators to express concern about anthropomorphism and zoomorphism, and was called 'intrinsically wrong' and 'uniquely sinister'. 

'Frigid Farrah' was one of 18 settings offered by Roxxxy, a sex robot manufactured and marketed by US-based TrueCompanion. According to the company, if you touched the 'Frigid Farrah' model in a 'private area, more than likely, she will not be too  appreciative of your advance.' 

The controversy coincided with the publication of Our Sexual Future with Robots (pdf), a study for policymakers on the implications of sex robots on society. According to Sheffield University professor of artificial intelligence and robotics Noel Sharkey, there are ethical arguments within the field about sex robots with 'frigid' settings.

'The idea is robots would resist your sexual advances so that you could rape them,' Sharkey said. 'Some people say it’s better they rape robots than rape real people. There are other people saying this would just encourage rapists more.'

Research, advocacy 🧮

• Lancaster K. (2021). Non-consensual personified sexbots: an intrinsic wrong

• Eichenberg C., Khamis M., Hübner L. (2019). The Attitudes of Therapists and Physicians on the Use of Sex Robots in Sexual Therapy: Online Survey and Interview Study

• Sharkey N., van Wynsberghe A., Robbins S., Hancock E. (2017). Our Sexual Future with Robots (pdf)

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://www.marieclaire.com.au/frigid-farrah-sex-robot-designed-to-simulate-rape

• https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/sex-robots-frigid-settings-rape-simulation-men-sexual-assault-a7847296.html

• https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/07/26/frigid-farrah-and-the-anti-feminism-of-sex-robots/

• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5027573/The-sex-robot-troubling-reality.html

• https://www.vice.com/en/article/8xxpq5/why-we-should-worry-about-the-sex-robot-with-a-resist-function

• https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4517167/sex-robot-dubbed-frigid-farrah-because-it-allows-randy-pervs-to-simulate-rape-must-be-banned-campaigner-says/

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40428976

• https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/29/anyone-for-robotic-rumpy-pumpy

• https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/2149321/new-report-finds-no-evidence-having-sex-robots-healthy