Human-robot love is no longer the stuff of science fiction, AFP reports. At least one researcher predicts that 40 years from now, robots will tell you stories, make you laugh, and swear that they love you. As for sex, robots will be capable of it in 5 years: It's "a sort of an upgrade of the sex dolls on sale now," one expert said.
Sensors can cue a robot to moan when touched, but conversation is harder to hardwire—and robots' current artificial intelligence is on par with an infant's. Some analysts warn that robot love will never feel right because it comes automatically. "Robots cannot choose you, they cannot reject you,” one scholar said. "That could become very boring.” (More robot stories.)