Back in July, a new report suggested that a revolution in the sex robot industry was on its way. While this has led to concerns over issues such as humans preferring to form relationships with machines, there are new worries that future robots could be hacked and potentially harm, or even kill, their owners.
Nick Patterson, a lecturer specializing in technology at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, believes that sex robots will, like so many household products, eventually feature online connectivity. And, as is the case with all connected devices, there's a risk they could be hacked.
"Hackers can hack into a robot or a robotic device and have full control of the connections, arms, legs and other attached tools like in some cases knives or welding devices," said Patterson.
"Often these robots can be upwards of 200 pounds, and very strong. Once a robot is hacked, the hacker has full control and can issue instructions to the robot. The last thing you want is for a hacker to have control over one of these robots! Once hacked they could absolutely be used to perform physical actions for an advantageous scenario or to cause damage."
This may all sound like hokum, and it assumes that these machines will eventually become internet-connected and have advanced mobility/AI features, but it's not totally outside the realms of possibility.
Last month, IOActive showed how it could take over consumer robots and control them remotely. It turned the UBTech Alpha 2 mini robot into a version a Chucky by making it repeatedly stab a tomato with a screwdriver. A full-sized robot with a mechanical skeleton and controllable limbs could damage a lot more than just fruit, so remember to switch your Cherry 2000 model into offline mode before use.