Where we are

We can thank porn for a lot of the technology we enjoy today, so it might not come a surprise that sex industries are big adopters of robotics. One French nightclub has introduced two robot pole dancers to its stage. In another strange glorification of bots, an android Buddhist priest called Mindar is delivering sermons at a Kyoto temple, giving the Dhamma a place in modern Japan.

Where we’re going

An unbalanced gender population in China, Japan’s sexual recession and the dissolution of the church are huge societal divides relating to sex and faith. As deeply embedded human needs, tech offers a world of opportunities to renew vigor in these latent areas.

How to think about it

Consider how sexuality or spirituality can be enhanced or disrupted by technology. Is building a sex robots that can control their limbs and ‘breathe’ in air going too far?

Signals

Robot Pole Dancers To Debut At French Nightclub

Vatican launches $110 ‘click to pray’ wearable rosary

This Company Invented A Sex Robot That Breathes