When we meet, Reggie introduces us to a doll, Annie, whom he considers one of his partners. Annie has all the characteristics of a sex doll, but Reggie prefers not to refer to her as such.
“Most people who have artificial companions don’t use that term, because they’re used for more than just sex,” he says.
Annie not only serves to satisfy his sexual needs, she also offers him love, affection and companionship, he explains.
“I personally am moving away from the term dolls. I am starting to call them androids, because that is what they will soon become,” he believes.
Towards robotic dolls
Will having sex with robots soon become the norm? These are the kinds of questions that the conference organized by Simon Dubé, associate professor in the UQAM sexology department, attempted to answer.
Mr. Dubé believes that in the coming years we should see “a greater acceptance of relationships that pass through technology or with machines.” But it is not tomorrow that these practices will be widespread on a very large scale.
“I think it’s going to take some significant technological advances for people to feel like these are tools they can deploy in interesting ways in their private lives,” he explains.
Reggie hopes to be able to robotize Annie within a few years, allowing the doll to “express her personality.”
“She won’t be able to express it until she is able to talk or walk on her own,” he believes.
This “personality” that Mr. Guzman instills in his partners comes from his own fields of interest, he specifies.
“When I was a kid, I was passionate about astronomy, I loved Transformers, cartoons like Night Rider with the talking car, video games. Many of these interests from my childhood are now part of her interests,” he confides, pointing at Annie.
A misogynistic practice?
It is important not to stigmatize or marginalize people who engage in these kinds of relational or sexual practices.
While he and Reggie Guzman agree that some men who are in relationships with “artificial partners” have misogynistic tendencies, that doesn’t represent the entire community.
“There are as many reasons to have relationships with artificial partners as there are individuals,” explains Mr. Dubé.
According to him, while some people get in touch with dolls because they have difficulty establishing romantic relationships with other humans, there are also people who do it to increase their eroticism while still maintaining good human relationships.
When he goes out in public with his dolls, Reggie Guzman says they spark curiosity and provoke interesting conversations. “It’s an interesting addition to my interactions,” he says.
