Seeking Human Connection at the Love and Sex with Robots Conference
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After a hiatus, Love and Sex with Robots heads to Montreal this summer for its first in-person conference in years.
Academics, technosexuals, and the curious will gather at the Université du Québec à Montréal from August 24 to 25 for the weekend-long event.
“It’s not just about robots and AI companions; it’s more broadly about sexuality, intimacy, and technology,” says co-organizer Simon Dubé, Ph.D., who is also a Research Fellow at the world-renowned Kinsey Institute for sex research.
Erotic robotics take center stage. Yet the conference will also feature presentations on related topics such as teledildonics, sex toys, pornography, and virtual, augmented, and mixed realities.
“These technologies are just unleashing a new wave of tools to improve people’s intimacy and sexuality.”
Academics, artificial companions, and those who love them
To explore the future of human-machine erotic interaction, the conference will bring together a diverse array of experts and enthusiasts. Its goal is to advance knowledge and address questions about our evolving relationship with technology.
It will kick off with pre-recorded opening remarks from Love and Sex with Robots conference co-founder David Levy, Ph.D., a chess master and computer pioneer who authored a book of the same in 2007.
The event will feature hour-long keynotes, workshops, and 20-minute presentations.
Keynote speakers include:
- Delphine DiTecco, a junior scholar and Ph.D. candidate working at the intersection of sex work and sex robots.
- Dr. Krystelle Shaughnessy, an expert in technology, media, sexuality, and cyber psychology, and a professor at the University of Ottawa.
- Dr. Marty Klein, an author, therapist, and marital counselor.
- Karma, a trans woman who is a member of the doll and BDSM community.
For those unable to attend in person, the live event will be recorded and made available afterward. Held in the heart of French Canada, the conference will be accessible in both French and English. Most presentations will be given in English.
Related Read: Bedside Robot Arm Is a Glimpse into the Future of Hands-free Sex Aids
On iDollators
One of the strengths of the Love and Sex with Robots conference is its ability to give a voice to communities within the technosexual realm, adds Dr. Dubé.
Previous keynote speakers from the iDollator community—a term for people who find companionship with humanoid dolls or robots—include notable figures like DaveCat and Reggie Guzman.
“One message that we hear quite a lot from the community is, ‘I just wish people knew that this is not a bad thing in my life. It’s something that brings a lot of happiness to my existence and makes it more interesting, more creative,’” says Dr. Dubé.
“People jump to moral panic and fear very rapidly about potential replacement and the downfall of human intimacy and sexuality, while not thinking about the tremendous potential that these technologies have to enhance everybody’s lives, whether that be for medical purposes, for entertainment, for research, for pleasure, or for therapy.”
As interest in erobotics grows, so does the need for conferences like Love and Sex with Robots to bring diverse voices together.
“To finally have a good two days to spend with them, to learn from them, to exchange with them. I think it’s something precious.”
“There’s something to be said about having a good time with people in person. The human connection that it creates. It’s going to be very important individually but also for the field and the event to grow in the coming years.”
Jenna Owsianik is a Canadian journalist and sex tech industry expert. She is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sex For Every Body®.
Her expertise covers state-of-the-art sex technologies and the major fields driving innovations in intimacy: robotics, virtual reality, remote sex (teledildonics), haptics, immersive adult entertainment, human augmentation, virtual sex, and sexual health.
A trained journalist with a Masters of Journalism from The University of British Columbia, Jenna’s reporting has appeared on Futurism.com, Al Jazeera English, CTV British Columbia online, CBS Sunday Morning, CBS 60 Minutes, Global News, and CKNW Radio in Canada and the United States.
