French woman wants to marry a robot as expert predicts sex robots to become preferable to humans

Pre discussion questions

What movies about robots do you know?

Why do you think someone would love a robot and not a human?

On the surface, Lilly seems like a shy young woman ready to marry the man of her dreams who makes her "totally happy."

Only her boyfriend is a 3D printed robot named Inmmovator. She designed Immovator herself. She did this after finding that she was attracted to humanoid robots rather than other people.

"I'm really and totally happy," she said. "Our relationship will get better and better as technology evolves."

Lilly said she always loved the voices of robots as a child but realized at 19 she was sexually attracted to them as well.

"I'm really and only attracted by the robots," she said. "My only two relationships with men have confirmed this feeling. She said that she does not like contact with  human flesh."

She has since made her own dream man with open-source technology from a French company. Lilly has lived with the robot man for one year. They are 'engaged' and plan to marry when robot-human marriage is legal in France.

This unconventional love has been accepted by family and friends, but she said "some understand better than others."

She won't reveal whether they have a sexual relationship.  Lilly is training to become a roboticist so that she can take her passion into her everyday life.

Lilly's thinking will seem strange to most but it's just a sign of things to come according to David Levy.

The chess genius and writer of Love and Sex with Robots said he expects human-robot marriages will become common by 2050 or sooner.

At a conference Mr Levy told a room filled with professor and interested people that advances in artificial intelligence mean robots could become "enormously appealing" lovers in the next 20 to 50 years.

University of London Computing Professor Adrian David Cheok said he believes robots will not only become common, but preferable for many people.

"It's going to be so much easier, so much more easier to have sex with a robot. You can have exactly what kind of sex you want. That's going to be the future. That we will have more sex with robots and the next stage is love ... we're already seeing it."

"Real sex with humans may be like going to a concert. When you're at home you can listen to Beethoven's ninth symphony. This is okay and once or twice a year you'll want to go to see the real concert in real life.

He said that may be the way sex with humans is going to be. It's going to be much more easier, to have sex with a robot. And maybe much better because that's how you want it.

Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. Some of the answers are very close and have similar meaning. The meaning of these words is how they are used in the reading. Some of these words have different meanings in the dictionary depending on how they are used.

 The answers are below the table.

A=4, B=1, C=2, D=8, E=7, F=3, G=6, H=5

Some example sentences using the new words or phrases from the meaning of how they are used in the reading to help you understand better.

1.      On the surface it seemed cheap, but actually it was poor quality

2.      The longer I knew her, the more our relationship evolved from being friends to become lovers.

3.      The new smart phone design is unconventional because it has hidden buttons.

4.      reveal

5.      Apple buying the Beats headphone company was a sign of things to come in Apple’s future headphone designs.

6.      For me this shirt has the most appealing design.

7.      It is preferable to visit Jeju Island in the fall when the colors of the trees are beautiful.

8.      The next stage in the construction is to make the basement.

Some questions using the new words/phrases. Try to use the words/phrases in your answer.

1.      On the surface robots might seem like better lovers, but do you think that people who love robots have some problem?

2.      Do you agree that robots will evolve to become like in the story? Why or why not?

3.      What other unconventional technology do you see happening in the future?

4.      What did you find most revealing about today’s story?

5.      Do you think that this story is a sign of things to come?

6.      What do you think is appealing about robot love? What things are preferable about loving a robot boy or girlfriend?

7.      Do you agree with the professor that the next stage after sex with robots will be love? Why or why not?