Beyond the Sex Doll: Post-Human Companionship and the Rise of the ‘Allodoll’

Abstract

The increasing market for realistic sex dolls has led to heated debate about future relationships with these entities and whether they could lead to an increasing objectification of women or possibly encourage abuse. However, limited academic research has been carried out on the topic, and little is known about the motivations and experiences of those who purchase and use sex dolls. Therefore, we conducted a mixed methods study of 83 participants, accessed through online doll forums, who completed a 22-item, semi-structured questionnaire. The majority were heterosexual, white, employed, middle-aged males; just over half were not in a current relationship, and approximately half lived alone. A thematic analysis revealed a high prevalence of non-sexual, post-human companionship dynamics between dolls and their owners, as well as reservations by doll owners about future robotic developments. In light of these findings, we suggest a new term, ‘allodoll’, which more accurately reflects the broader, non-sexual relationships of these doll owners, and could broaden the scope of future research. Although sex doll forums may be biased towards certain types of doll users, our findings may allay some of the fears of the more detrimental consequences of sex doll use.

Sex Doll Ownership: An Agenda for Research

“…While this may be true to some degree, survey data suggest that purely viewing dolls and robots of this type through a sexual lens may limit our understanding of this phenomenon. For example, while up to 70% of sex doll owners cite sexual gratification as the primary function of their doll, others discuss how their dolls act as a form of friendship and companionship [ 1 , 2 ]. In addition, even among those who did suggest that sex was their doll’s primary purpose, this was accompanied by other functions in more than 80% of cases [ 1 , 12 ].…”

“…Considering analyses of qualitative accounts provided by sex doll and robot owners in existing work [ 2 , 13 ••], deeper and more specific analyses of the motivations of owners for obtaining dolls and robots should be conducted. While the existing work provides a useful starting point, these papers are limited by the nature of the data collected.…”

“…The sale of realistic human-like dolls designed for sexual use is a multi-million dollar global industry [ 1 ]. Newer doll models are fully customizable, and markets are opening up that allow for dolls to be modeled on real people, including adult film stars [ 2 ]. Some models include artificial intelligence, and the ability to feign communication with their owners (referred to as sex robots).…”

Foundations of Erobotics

“…Noteworthy, at the moment, some of these phenomena are difficult to examine empirically without solely relying on self-report and hypothetical scenarios [ 87 , 219 , 265 ], partly due to the unavailability, high price, and/or novelty of (sophisticated) erobotic systems. Others, however, can already be observed (and studied)—to various degrees—through individuals, communities, and cultures related to: digi/techno sexuality [ 21 , 200 , 283 ], cybersex (or online sexuality; [ 67 , 85 ]), hentai (i.e., manga or anime pornography; [ 301 ]) and otakuism (i.e., interests in animation, manga, and games, often incorporating (non-)fictional technology; [ 11 , 304 ]), dolls [ 87 , 104 , 166 , 174 , 280 , 294 ], toys [ 86 , 89 , 90 , 138 , 247 , 253 ], platforms [ 49 ], games [ 80 ], teledildonics [ 85 , 107 , 200 ], (VR/AR/MR) pornography [ 254 , 275 ], (AI-powered) dating applications [ 197 , 208 , 281 ], artificial partners [ 87 , 112 , 160 , 200 , 219 , 237 , 307 ], as well as objectophilia, agalmatophilia/pygmalionism, and mechanophilia (i.e., respectively, the (sexual and/or romantic) attraction to objects, statue/dolls/mannequins, and machines; [ 102 , 317 ]. Just to name a few.…”

Sex doll ownership: An agenda for research

“…While this may be true to some degree, survey data suggest that purely viewing dolls and robots of this type through a sexual lens may limit our understanding of this phenomenon. For example, while up to 70% of sex doll owners cite sexual gratification as the primary function of their doll, others discuss how their dolls act as a form of friendship and companionship [1,2]. In addition, even among those who did suggest that sex was their doll's primary This article is part of the Topical Collection on Sexual Disorders purpose, this was accompanied by other functions in more than 80% of cases [1,12].…”