Digisexuality, Where People Fall For Techy Non-Humans, Could Become More Rampant
By Yimin Huang, 03 Jun 2019
Lil Miquela is an Instagram model who is extremely popular and gets a lot of thirsty comments, but she does not actually exist. In fact, she is an art project created with AI. Still, the frequent comments on her Instagram account reflect a lot of attraction towards her, such as "Damn she boutta get it," and "Hola guapa… my angel."
It is similar to instances where fans fall in love with celebrities or YouTube personalities they have never actually met. Physical contact is not a necessity for developing feelings. Similarly, it is not that difficult to develop feelings for digital models who do not objectively exist.
Think I'm ready to let my hair down again maybe.
A post shared by *~ MIQUELA ~* (@lilmiquela) on May 23, 2019 at 7:42pm PDT
With the rise of technological advancements, this is becoming increasingly common, and digisexuality can in turn be on the rise. Digisexuality is attraction through the use of technology, and can involve sex robots, AI, and digitally-created imagery such as Lil Miquela and virtual Instagram model Shudu. In extreme cases, the person only feels sexually attracted to machines.
 . . @cjw.photo . #fenty #fentybeauty #mattemoiselle #sawc #3dart
A post shared by Shudu (@shudu.gram) on Feb 5, 2018 at 8:25am PST
Akihiko Kondo is one such example, as he is in a marriage with his wife, Hatsune Miku, a hologram of a virtual reality popstar.
Future dating apps might also involve AI soon, as they can be programmed to flirt and swipe back. In fact, adult content platform YouPorn recently introduced the world's first virtual social media influencer who can react to sexual situations.
While the trend is seen as inevitable and nothing wrong by Dr Neil McArthur of the University of Manitoba, who believes it would not be long before digisexuality is recognized as "one shade in the kaleidoscope of human sexuality," Kathleen Richardson, professor of ethics and the co-founder of The Campaign Against Sex Robots, begs to differ.
"It's a lie that humans are in relationships with robots and AI…" Richardson argued. "The primary buyers of these are sex dolls fetishists… agalmatophilia [an attraction to statues], digiphilia is probably a better description of what might develop," she told Metro.co.uk.
Whether digiphilia or digisexual, the term and trend may be here to stay.
[via Metro UK, cover image via Shutterstock]