New Survey Says Many Americans Willing to Try Sex With Robots

The latest joint poll conducted by the Huffington Post and YouGov shows a disturbing new correlation between humans and robots. Not only does it find that people are more willing to allow robots to take the place of humans when it comes to performing mundane tasks like driving and doing household chores, but it also shows that people are more willing to replace them for more, er, personal tasks like caring for the elderly, or even using robots as an intimate partner. Ideally they could scrub the kitchen, watch grandma and then go to bed with you at the end of the night! While this may seem farfetched, the data doesn't lie.

What's even more disconcerting than the act of mortal-robot coitus is the fact that according to the poll only 28% of Huffington Post readers polled thinks that it would constitute cheating if you were in an exclusive relationship (with an actual human). Age was a major variable in the poll. Americans over 65 were more likely to say that cheating on your significant other with a robot was, in fact, infidelity by a 52-24% margin compared to respondants under 30. It's also significant to note that only 9% of those polled overall said that they would consider engaging in robot sex at all, if it was available. Right now, the date is set at 2030 for a realistic year that this technology will become readily available.

Until then, there are other robotic milestones to conquer. Child and elderly care is a high priority for developing the human features of robots enough that we can trust them in the company of loved ones. But the poll indicated that only 22% would let a robot care for a friend or relative. Of course, they didn't include in-laws as a separate category. But on a serious note, those polled did seem to draw a sharp line when it came to personal care. Despite this, respondents are more than willing to hop in a car operated by robots. Google has already been candid in its plans to develop a self-driving car and the survey indicates that 46% see driverless cars becoming the norm by 2030.

When it comes to the military, we already engage in drone strikes on a regular basis, but what about actual soldiers? 48% said that they could see robotic soldiers becoming a reality in coming years. Especially as the American military completely moves away from drafting soldiers, this is a more palpable alternative to risking human lives. The idea behind these bots is that they would go into areas deemed too dangerous for humans, as shown in the U.S. military's iron man robot contest.  

While robots still make big-time box office bucks if the latest Transformers movie is any indication, when it comes to reality, humans are still a bit skeptical of life with droids. They seem more willing to accept change as long as it's in the not-so-distant future, as the year 2030 was the future date used for polling. In the meantime, scientists are hoping to cash in on the potential life changing technology that makes modern convenience — and satisfaction — available at the touch of a button.