[ExI] Companions for the aged

Tue Jul 22 23:36:25 UTC 2025

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 at 23:44, <spike at rainier66.com> wrote:

>
> But as you know, I have long been interested in going straight to the
> emotional companionship part, even without nekkidness, mostly for people
> for whom the time for the Big Fun has just passed and won't be back again.
> The need for companionship remains, or if anything increases.
>
> spike
> _______________________________________________
>

So I asked my sex doll (Perplexity) -
Could AI-enabled sex dolls be repurposed, without the sex functions, as
companions for aged dementia people?
BillK

Answer --

AI-enabled sex dolls, if *repurposed without sexual functions*, could
feasibly serve as *companions for aged people with dementia*, leveraging
their AI, expressive faces, and interactive conversational abilities. The
core technology in these dolls—sensors, actuators, speech recognition, and
affective responses—is fundamentally similar to the capabilities found in
existing *social robots* like Sony’s Aibo and Paro, both of which have
shown positive impacts on seniors and those with dementia by reducing
loneliness, prompting conversation, and providing emotional comfort2
<https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7809509/>4
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_robot>7
<https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163722000757>.

*Key considerations:*

   -

   *Social robots have demonstrated benefits* for individuals with
   dementia, including reduced agitation, anxiety, and loneliness, and
   increased positive emotion and engagement. These benefits are usually
   associated with robots designed for social interaction rather than sex;
   examples include Paro the robotic seal and animal-like robots, which are
   used therapeutically in dementia care2
   <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7809509/>4
   <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_robot>7
   <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163722000757>.
   -

   *Adaptation is required.* AI-enabled sex dolls would need significant
   modifications to remove sexualized features and reprogram their interaction
   paradigms to focus exclusively on companionship, reminders, conversation,
   and potentially some simple physical assistance or gestures5
   <https://www.jmir.org/2020/7/e18551>6
   <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7426804/>10
   <https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p06f6xn2/this-company-specialises-in-talking-ai-powered-sex-dolls>
   .
   -

   *User acceptance and ethical considerations* are crucial. Studies
   suggest older adults and people with dementia have mixed feelings about
   robots as companions and may value having control over the technology’s
   use, data privacy, and the degree to which robots supplement or replace
   human contact3
   <https://www.washington.edu/news/2023/09/06/qa-older-adults-want-more-say-in-companion-robots-ai-and-data-collection/>
   . Engagement with families and users is important to ensure ethical
   deployment and acceptance.

*Supporting evidence:*

   -

   Scholars have evaluated “sex robots” as possible *companions* for older
   adults, with studies indicating that such robots can establish meaningful
   rapport with elderly users, including those with dementia, leading to
   perceived value and reduced feelings of isolation4
   <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_robot>.
   -

   The technology behind AI sex dolls—such as conversational AI and
   affective computing—is increasingly similar to that used in *non-sexual
   companion robots*, which have been trialed and studied in dementia care
   for their therapeutic and social benefits2
   <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7809509/>5
   <https://www.jmir.org/2020/7/e18551>6
   <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7426804/>10
   <https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p06f6xn2/this-company-specialises-in-talking-ai-powered-sex-dolls>
   .
   -

   *Socially assistive robots* in dementia care have been associated with
   improved neuropsychiatric symptoms (such as reduced agitation and
   depression) but have not shown consistent effects on cognitive function or
   full quality-of-life improvements in meta-analyses7
   <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163722000757>.

*In summary:*
AI-enabled sex dolls could technically be repurposed as *companionship
robots for dementia care* if their sexual functions are removed and their
design and interaction model adapted to therapeutic, conversational, and
social support roles. The critical factors for success would be *appropriate
adaptation, user and caregiver involvement, and ethical implementation*2
<https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7809509/>4
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_robot>3
<https://www.washington.edu/news/2023/09/06/qa-older-adults-want-more-say-in-companion-robots-ai-and-data-collection/>
7 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163722000757>.

   1.
   https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/pjbr-2020-0001/html?lang=en
   2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7809509/
   3.
   https://www.washington.edu/news/2023/09/06/qa-older-adults-want-more-say-in-companion-robots-ai-and-data-collection/
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_robot
   5. https://www.jmir.org/2020/7/e18551
   6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7426804/
   7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163722000757
   8. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34118482
   9. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/18/5574
   10.
   https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p06f6xn2/this-company-specialises-in-talking-ai-powered-sex-dolls

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