Robot sex workers bumbling about, just like humans…
50 years ago, predictions for what life would look like by the year 2000 were fueled by the same imaginations that made The Jetsons, Star Wars, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. But as the millennium approached, excitement turned to fear as many prepared for the “‘Y2K”’ virus and widespread chaos.
In 2016, beyond the yardstick of the millennium, future predictions are ramping up again. Advances in technologies like speech recognition, Google’s automatic translation, facial expression recognition, mechanical prosthetic limbs and highly advanced “chatbots” are all seem zoning in on the realization of a human-like robot.
These advances have sparked heated ethical debates about the use of robots in society, especially in the area of sex work.
Enter “Gigahoes,” the web series that aims to remind us that robots and people, together, are very funny.
The first season of “Gigahoes” featured 12 five-minute episodes. Set in the year 2030, the show tracks fictional company Artificial Intercourse (AI) in a mockumentary style. AI’s clients and employees (robotic and human) encounter a range of social and mechanical problems that highlight both human and robot ineptitude when it comes to satisfying desire.
The first season was made with $5,000. Props, effects, image and sound quality, and costumes were not fantastic. The style of the show does have a charming deliberate amateurism, though it’s can be a little too drab and awkward for its own good.
However, we can appreciate how the comedy presents sexbots in a unique and refreshing way—avoiding the trope of the killer robot. And if you’ve seriously contemplated having a robotic sex partner, this show may be right up your alley.
Thanks to a generally positive online response, “Gigahoes” creators Adam Lash and Kevin Gilligan have launched a Kickstarter campaign for a second season. This time they hope to raise $15,000, which should contribute to a more polished video product.
“Gigahoes” is not a mainstream series, but its unflinching oddity could prove to be surprisingly relevant if and when its science fiction becomes our social reality.
Image sources: Gigahoes
