WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

[AdamLeisemann]

Here's a question of "what would you do?" The situation presented is purely ficticious. As it involves robots, I figured it would be most fitting here.

 

Recently, a major corporation has announced something for an exclusively female market: A line of androids known as Perfect Partners.

 

The purpose of the Perfect Partner is two-fold: To be a domestic companion and to be a 'romantic partner.' The explanation offerred is that "women in marriage are forced to endure the problems of men; their constant cravings for sex, their inability to understand anything outside of 'sports-speak', and their uncanny tendancy to pass anything out as 'woman's work'. Women should not have to live with this, and we beleive the Perfect Partner is the perfect alternative."

 

This is starting to stir up a little controversy. Many argue that this is a good alternative to the problems present in a real husband, "and if you want kids, just go to a sperm-bank.":thumbup: Some also argue that this whole thing is founded on mysandry.

 

And the lines are not drawn at gender. Some men seem to think that "Men do have the stated problems. Some women can't stand that. The ideal solution seems to be this, at least for heterosexual women.":thumbup: Some women argue that it can't be a good replacement for a man:thumbdown , or that it is wrong to have a romance with a machine.

 

There are many other veiws presented as well. And now comes the questions:

 

1) What would your stance on this situation be? Why?

 

2) If you are female: Would you buy a Perfect Partner? Why?

 

3) If you are male: Would you recommend a Perfect Partner for anyone? Why?

 

Remember: This is you, not a Star Hero character. Though if you want, you have my permission to present this situation in your game.

[Outsider]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

I can't see a robotics corporation that can make a passable 'male' droid for companionship and romance not being able to make a passabe 'female' droid too, nor declining to do so given the ability.

 

So what we'd really have is a society where all the people, male and female, could opt for 'perfect' relationship simulations instead of relating to actual people.

 

There would also, I presume, be 'neuter' droids for people who dont want a droid relationship so much as a domestic servant.

 

Personally, a big part of the whole romance/love thing is that the other person is choosing me of their own free will. A droid programmed to 'love' me just wouldnt be the same. I wouldn't get a love-driod, and wouldnt recommend getting one to anyone I knew. It would be a retreat from life.

 

 

 

I can see them becoming big, big business though. A related question is "If you could make such a thing and become hugely wealthy selling them, would you?"

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

I can't see a robotics corporation that can make a passable 'male' droid for companionship and romance not being able to make a passabe 'female' droid too, nor declining to do so given the ability.

 

So what we'd really have is a society where all the people, male and female, could opt for 'perfect' relationship simulations instead of relating to actual people.

 

There would also, I presume, be 'neuter' droids for people who dont want a droid relationship so much as a domestic servant.

 

Realistically, I can also see such a thing. In fact, that would actually be more marketable.

 

Unfortunately, I was writing this when I got an idea for a story where a woman who was having trouble with men ordered for such an android, only for the android to learn that love is more than just a man trying to please a woman, find her a real male who can give her what she truly needs, and eventually being released to an unknown future of soul-searching. Realism wasn't quite on my mind at the time. I am sorry for not thinking it all the way through.

 

Personally, a big part of the whole romance/love thing is that the other person is choosing me of their own free will. A droid programmed to 'love' me just wouldnt be the same. I wouldn't get a love-driod, and wouldnt recommend getting one to anyone I knew. It would be a retreat from life.

 

Fair enough. I am fairly certain that limitations would abound. For instance: the android lover doing everything to make you happy is a nice idea, but it gets frustrating when you can't please him/her because there is no programming for wants and desires for the robotic lover.

 

I can see them becoming big, big business though. A related question is "If you could make such a thing and become hugely wealthy selling them, would you?"

 

I can imagine that this would depend on the laws. If androids are a new phenomemon, then new laws will have to be written regarding the situation. I am no expert on robotics, so I would not be building anything like a Perfect Partner. Of course, I would be interesting in seeing what ethical concerns would arise from the situation.

[Curufea]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

Dang - they stole my idea for a short story I was going to write.

 

Anyhow, to answer the question-

 

Yes, I'm all for it. Anything that would cause competitiveness in males to force them to NOT behave like their stereotypes is a good idea. And also highlights us males who aren't stereotypes (always a good thing)

Would I recommend one to any woman I know? Not really - as the males they are currently with aren't stereotypical, and the ones that aren't with males, don't want males.

[Zeropoint]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

My stance:

 

Oh, that's just frelling GREAT. There goes the last shred of possibility that I'll ever find myself a real flesh-and-blood woman. Time to check on financing for a female love bot.

 

 

Would I recommend one?

 

. . . well, maybe, but only because I couldn't in good conscience claim that I'd be a better mate.

[Guest daeudi_454]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

of course, the real issue with that level of personality simulation, as well as physical...

 

Copying.

 

This was covered in an episode of Futurama. Forget the "Perfect Partner". I want Jessica Alba, and Eliza Dushku. no- wait... I could also have Dark Angel, or the Invisible Girl, or Faith the Vampire Slayer, or Tru Davies...

 

You get the idea... Talk about EULAs and copyright infringement.

[input.jack]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

Wow...throw in Natalie Portman and youve got my top three......

[OddHat]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

A Perfect Partner would have an AI granting it full human level (or above) mental faculties.

 

It would hold down a job and provide lifetime financial, physical and emotional support (all things that make a Perfect Partner).

 

Basically, we're talking about having sex with your slave bot, which you'll also rent out in order to generate extra income.

 

In a society that can create AIs like that at any reasonable price, I doubt there will be much call for human workers. The economy of such a setting would be very strange.

 

I'd expect lots of emotionally immature or damaged people using "perfect partners" as outlets for their sexual needs and as household servants. Since these things would need full AIs, I expect many of those people would grow very fond of the Partners. As to actual love, I dunno. We fall in love in large part based on the "love map" formed by our previous relationships, eventually going back to early childhood. Unless the woman in question had a history of close emotional ties with AIs, I expect there'd always be something missing.

 

I might reccomend a Perfect Partner to an elderly person or invalid. A little programing as a nurse to go along with the standard household stuff and a Partner could make life far easier.

 

For a younger person, I think a relationship with a Perfect Partner would make building healthy human relationships harder, but that wouldn't stop people from trying.

[Yansuf]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

Potentially controversial?

Ya think?

[Zeropoint]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

Full AI? I'd definitely get a female version. At that point, I'd definitely recommend a male version to women.

[Blue Jogger]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

I wouldn't mind one. I don't need a fembot, just a robot.

 

I need someone who could be programmed to do chores, I don't a romantic entanglement. My wife has flatly stated, however, that if she couldn't married someone perfect, her self-esteem would tank everytime he would do something utterly perfect compared to her.

 

And I have female friends where the Perfect Partner would be ideal. Assuming they are safe and could withstand the physical and emotional abuse that they would put one through. (What's the DEF do they have? Are you sure their AIs won't suffer emotional trama?)

[Thia Halmades]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

So you reversed The Stepford Wives. Okay. If it were me, I'd be pretty violently against it. Not out of concern, but because there's lines we don't cross - one of my friends is convinced robots are superior. I am not.

[Curufea]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

I think it's very Bubblegum Crisis/AD Police. And has some intrinsic problems. It's really dependant on how stable the AI is.

 

However, I still think the potential benefits outweigh the occasional psychotic murder spree.

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

This reminds me of a reversed gender version of Chobits in which "Persocomps" (realistic female companions) make some females in the society feel inadequate. Another take would be the androids of West World / Future World placed in public circulation. And let's not forget Armitage III with robots capable of reproducing with humans...

 

In reality, such a thing (in a very primitive form) already exists, as there is a company offering realistic (but non-mobile) sex dolls with animatronic technology. Add on to this how many women (and men) fall in love (and or lust) with celebrities, and yes, I could see a company wishing to supply such a device. And let's face it, if we could be freed from the drudgery of daily chores and errands, our lives would be so much better, right?

 

The reality is that many people would prefer a predictable, helpful subservient robot. It was the same in the lower tech versions of our own society -- back then, though, we called them "slaves" and reprogrammed them with physical torture, psychological abuse and the odd rape along the way...

 

When will humanity finally accept the idea that slavery is just wrong, no matter what form it takes? Given that most of us are inherently lazy, I'd say the answer is not very damn soon.

 

Matt "I'm-not-a-pessimist-just-a-factual-realist" Frisbee

[Nyrath]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

I seem to remember an ancient movie called Cherry 2000. An executive is quite smug since he owns a Stepford Wife style subservient female robot. All his friends try to find dates at the bars. When you do this, you have to bring your lawyer who negotiates with the prospective date's lawyer. If you are lucky, they will manage to settle on a pre-date contract that you and your date can sign before sunrise.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

Well, since some folks asked about specific features of the Perfect Partner, here's a list of them:

 

*Modular Design makes it possible to swap out body parts for tools (ideal for some chores) or to swap out a damaged part for a part in good condition. And other possibilities do exist and are perfectly viable.

 

*Durable Frame beneath realistic synthetic flesh and skin ensures that it will feel no different from a real romantic partner, while enabling you do do anything you want to it, no matter how rough. (6 rPD/6 rED)

 

*Ideal Programming means that it has no selfish desires or wants, but is instead psychologically capable of devoting everything to you. It is completely incapable of selfishness, but it can interpret your requests to best suit you.

 

*The Contract is a set of encoded laws that guarantees complete loyalty to you, and you alone. The Perfect Partner will never cheat on you!

 

For those who cited various television programs, I do not watch Futurama (I avoid anything by Matt Groening), but the idea did come from reading reveiws of Chobits and Mahoromatic. I switched genders because mysandry is somehow more acceptable than mysogyny, despite the fact that both are wrong. (It probably has something to do with our mysogynistic history.)

[OddHat]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

For those who cited various television programs, I do not watch Futurama (I avoid anything by Matt Groening), but the idea did come from reading reveiws of Chobits and Mahoromatic.

 

The idea of building a perfect artificial partner and then finding it impossible to truly love goes back at least 2000 years, and probably farther (Pygmalion, Ilmarinen and his gold wife, etc.). There aren't many truly new story ideas.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

Only seven truly original plots. Every story writen since then has been a variant on one of those seven.

[Curufea]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

But suprisingly few of them involve ninjas or pirates.

[Nyrath]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

Only seven truly original plots. Every story writen since then has been a variant on one of those seven.

There is some controversy about that.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/001124.html

http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/plotFARQ.html

 

Some say one, some say three, some say seven, some say twenty, some say thirty-six....

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

I've done some reading. The whole point is: there are very few truly original stories.

[prodigyduck]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

A robotic domestic servant who can also be used as a love partner would make crack look like coffee.

 

I'd buy one, if they were affordable.

[Erkenfresh]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

No thanks, my hand works perfectly fine.

 

Seriously though, I am repulsed by the thought. Sex with machines just seems creepy to me. A robot servant on the other hand, might be nice. It could vacuum my carpets and put the dishes away for me. I'd get really lazy though.

[Lucius]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

Frankly, I find it hard to imagine such a thing being anything other than, how shall I put it, co-educational.

 

In other words, in any hypothetical future deriving from our present where such a technological development becomes possible, I would expect that such items would become available to women shortly after becoming available to men, or else more or less simultaneously. I could possibly buy the idea of them being more popular with men, but not that there would be no female market.

 

Any scenario positing the existence of such tools as of or for only one gender, to me, requires some kind of explanation for why it would work that way and not both ways.

 

Assuming that reproductive technology becomes similarly advanced, then the universal adoption of these household appliances could create a world in which men and women truly do not need each other at all - except perhaps as donors of genetic materiel for offspring, if that.

 

Given how much of the unhappiness of women is due to men, and how much of the unhappiness of men is due to women, one would think a world in which they only deal with each other if and as they choose would be a utopia of very happy, satisfied people.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Palindromedary Enterprises - we sell more than just palindromedaries!

[Guest daeudi_454]

Re: WWYD: The Perfect Partner (potentially controversial)

 

Given how much of the unhappiness of women is due to men, and how much of the unhappiness of men is due to women, one would think a world in which they only deal with each other if and as they choose would be a utopia of very happy, satisfied people.

 

You forget the most common trait to humanity.

We as a species enjoy being miserable.

So we still need (women/men).