[Sexuality remains a fascinating context for exploring presence. It creates a variety of complex challenges to replicate deeply human, embodied experiences using technology, challenges that while rarely met successfully can teach us a lot about the many factors that evoke and limit different forms of presence. And it highlights a variety of ethical questions and controversies for designers, researchers, consumers and others.
The story below from Metro UK is a good example; it’s the only coverage of the Autoblow A.I. product that I found that didn’t include explicit or crass language and/or juvenile puns. A story in Motherboard describes the challenges facing the academics who conducted the “(definitely not peer-reviewed) study that’s full of sexy—or at least, sexually-themed—algorithmic research” behind the new product. The paper’s authors explain why they chose to be anonymous:
“They told me they asked a few of their clients if taking on this work and being publicly associated with it would be a problem.
‘The response was surprising,’ the scientists said. ‘Corporations don’t want to be associated in any way with controversy. It’s just not acceptable to them, and they view this as a PR nightmare. So, I am staying anonymous. On a personal level we didn’t get pushback, it’s more on the corporate level that being identified is a problem. For context, a lot of our work is for FinTech and/or government. That’s where we got the red flag from.’
This isn’t surprising. We’ve seen hostility against sexual content again and again from payment processors and lawmakers.”
The story also notes that “[t]hese researchers imagine a world where immersive, interactive aspects of porn and sex toys (and non-sexual entertainment, too) can be improved with AI.”
For a first person report about the experience of using an earlier version of Autoblow that highlights some of the physiological and psychological challenges and ethical considerations in this topic area, see a 2016 story in Elite Daily.
For much more information about Autoblow A.I., including pictures and videos, see the product’s Indiegogo page.
–Matthew]
Autoblow launches a toy that uses artificial intelligence to replicate human oral sex techniques
Laura Abernethy
23 Oct 2018
Artificial intelligence is certainly futuristic.
It’s already being used to spot cancer, make beer and even predict the future.
But now it’s being used in a very different way – and it’s very NSFW.
The man who made the oral sex stimulation device Autoblow, has announced the new version will have AI technology to replicate human techniques.
The makers claim it is the ‘first sex toy to use artificial intelligence to enhance the realism of a solo sexual experience’.
Founder Brian Sloan launched the original Autoblow 2 three years ago but he claims this device is very different.
‘Virtually every other male sex toy that strokes, including our own Autoblow 2, strokes only in complete strokes from the top to the bottom of the penis.
‘But full top to bottom stroking of the penis is only one of many possible oral sex techniques.
‘The new Autoblow’s techniques are far more advanced,’ he said.
The team who built it listened to feedback from 200,000 Autoblow 2 owners and analysed 8,333 minutes of oral sex videos to try to recreate the movements carried out by humans.
They used the data to create 10 different modes including the ‘full stroke’, ‘intense edge’, ‘fast edge’, ‘slow and fast combo’, ‘top stroke’, ‘bottom stroke’, ‘top and bottom stroke’ and two types of ‘masterstroke’.
The 10th mode is the enhanced AI experience that uses a variety of techniques and pauses so the experience is different every time.
The device is currently being funded by an Indiegogo page and to receive one, you can pay $129 (£99) – a reduction on the normal price of $249 (£191).
But even if you pledge now, you won’t receive the device until May 2019.
Brian told Metro.co.uk: ‘We sold 200,000 of the version 2 and our customers were very vocal in telling us what they wanted improved in regards to the feeling they receive while using it.
‘So I view myself just as a conduit of commerce; my job is to give men what they want. This is it.
‘The reaction is great so far, we sold about $10,000 dollars per day that the Indiegogo campaign has been online and now that the media has started to learn about what we are doing, we anticipate the sales will increase.
‘Men have already emailed me to tell me they appreciate our efforts in “solving their problems” as one guy put it.
‘The Autoblow, like the Iphone, is a work in progress. I will continue to improve it for the rest of my life.’