Futurologist Who Predicted We'd Be 'Having Sex With Robots By 2025' Says The Possibility Is Still Out There

This January 1st marks a foreboding day for many humans on planet Earth because 10 years ago, the British tabloid The Sun published an article titled, "Women Will Be Having More Sex With Robots Than Men by 2025."

Speculation about a robot sex-pocalypse has run rampant in the decade since. Viral quote tweets of the ominous headline (with the odd woman-robot couple photo) have amped up over the past few (end of) days as the meme has seen a resurgence.

"Can you believe it guys, sex with robots, in a week!" one user joked on Christmas Eve.

A man named Dr. Ian Pearson is the man cited for this haunting prediction that subsequently became a long-running joke online. But why trust him? He's a technology futurologist with a proven track record. For one, he predicted the invention of text messaging way back in 1991.

However, since 2015, he hasn't touched on the robot sex subject again, making many wonder, "Is this still happening? Is a robot going to tap you on the shoulder this New Year's Eve and tell you to take a seat?"

(An image of technology futurologist Dr. Ian Pearson, who made the viral prediction in 2015. – Source)

Despite radio silence, Dr. Ian Pearson has not forgotten about his viral prediction. "The technology is virtually here already," he said on an exclusive call with us this week. "There are two or three companies that are bringing out household robots next year to fetch and carry. I know some people who are sufficiently kinky, who will be quite happy with that. And so I think it probably will start next year."

Tesla, he admitted, is the main player in the field. Earlier this year, the company revealed its Optimus Robot at a convention to much fanfare and intrigue.

Notably, Kim Kardashian already has a prototype in her possession, per videos and photos shared to her Twitter / X account. The obligatory screenshot of The Sun's headline was seen in her tweet replies.

IT'S HAPPENING pic.twitter.com/KEJTaCuXsU

— Robin (@xdNiBoR) November 18, 2024

Dr. Pearson believes that these models "don’t need to be designed as sex robots for people to play with them." The earliest form of robotic sex partners will be these fetch-and-carry models that people will "attach devices to … to make them do other things too."

"I would think that people would adapt them," he said on the subject. "It won’t be very many weeks after they come out at a reasonable cost before someone starts making kits for them that allow you to misuse them."

A simple crotch attachment could be paired with other AI systems which, over the past year, have had seemingly exponential advances. AI-generated voices, chatbots like ChatGPT, plus video and image generating systems allude to a possible combination of everything, according to Dr. Pearson, that could be used for sexual purposes.

He also named his own invention that could be added to these imagined sexbots. "Active Skin," which he first conceived in 2001, involves "electronics printed in your skin surface that can link through to your nervous system." The human partner's dopamine responses could be measured in real-time and the robot could act on them and intensify them immediately by continuing the rhythm, changing speeds or whispering a raunchy sweet nothing.

On top of this, the technology could allow the robot to insert sensations directly into its partner's nerves. With this in mind, he said, "If you’ve got an android that is programmed for sex purposes, it could actually outperform a human."

"Sex sells, we know it does," he reminded us.

What seems to be the only barrier to his 2025 prediction's fulfillment is a businessperson savvy and daring enough to construct, market and distribute a robotic himbo. "If you wanted to make a factory tomorrow, you could access all of the technologies able to do that," he said. This hasn't happened yet.

Dr. Pearson's quote that was used for the sensational 2015 headline that became a meme is from a report by Bondara, one of Britain's leading sex toy retailers, on the "Future of Sex" and the "Rise of the Robosexuals." The company commissioned Dr. Pearson for his expertise on "Robophilia" for the PR campaign.

Interestingly, his original quote was skewed by The Sun and other tabloids, which tried to push that approaching 2025 date.

"I don’t understand," he told us. "[The tabloids] were saying that it would be 'most' by 2025 whereas that’s not what the original report says, is it? The actual quote is, 'starting in 2025' and maybe catch up with humans by 2050. And I think that’s still probably accurate."

So, take a breath. If you were worried about a robot taking your favorite job, wait until 2050. That's what Dr. Pearon thinks because that's when the aforementioned technologies, which are already accessible today, will be advanced by decades of progress.

One future possibility that Dr. Pearson noted is celebrities or models selling their rights to a sexbot archive. This dark, OnlyFans evolution is "perfectly easy to do that with LED displays," he noted. "Some celebrities might upload a library of 'This is what it’s like to be in bed with me' and you can download sensations that these people are able to produce," transferred through something like Active Skin.

That's only a 2050 possibility though. Start worrying this year if your partner can afford a Tesla Bot and the theoretical "add-ons" that Dr. Pearson might call a "teledildonic device."

As for the memes about the viral headline, invest, invest, invest on this running gag in the coming days. "Technology is easy to predict," Dr. Pearson said, but as far as memes go, he admittedly has no idea what's going to pop off.

He's no stranger to the memes featuring his prediction though. He's on Twitter / X under the handle @timeguide. You can also keep up with his latest inventions and predictions on his blog.