OPINION (Metro) – Can you fall in love with a robot? It’s a question that has been widely explored by sci-fi novelists and filmmakers for decades. Her and Ex Machina – both Oscar-nominated – revolve around protagonists developing deep, romantic feelings for some form of artificial intelligence. Our fascination with this concept isn’t difficult to unpick: a romantic relationship with a machine takes away all of the messiness and unpleasantness of human emotion and leaves you with something that is much simpler and easier
to comprehend, if relatively sterile. It feels like a fantasy because, for the moment at least, it remains one. But just how likely is it that we will willingly abandon our innate need for human touch and interaction and what will the implications be for humanity if we do? Relationship coach and neuroscientist Bobbi Banks thinks robotic partners could definitely be on the cards in the not too distant future. ‘Forming romantic and sexual relationships with robots will be widespread by 2050,’ Bobbi tells Metro.co.uk. ‘The way we experience love and connection today is changing. FULL REPORT
