Infidelity 2.0
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Rep. Anthony Weiner's online escapades may be the latest evidence of a technical sexual revolution, an MIT researcher is suggesting.
"Crude connections may signal a 'robotic moment' for society where humans begin turning to artificial intelligence to fulfill emotional needs," Sherry Turkle, director of MIT's Initiative on Society and Self, tells InnovationNewsDaily.
Turkle, who's written "One Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other," says her research has found people more interested in "artificial" boyfriends, girlfriends, and spouses.
Say what?
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
"They were not being ironic. They felt that people had failed them. And that a robot would be a safe choice," she says.
If you're in a relationship with a real person, are you unfaithful if you take up with a virtual one?
It depends on what your definition of infidelity is, according to Robert Weiss, founding director of The Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles. He now defines infidelity as the act of keeping secrets in a relationship.
This is going to be a problem.
