Platformization and privacy issues in the sex robot industry: A political-economic evaluation of a wider-reaching product

Intimate artificial intelligence requires secure data privacy to protect users’ freedom of expression and sexual privacy. This article uses critical political economy theory to evaluate the privacy and platformization of RealDoll’s sex robot. A critical discourse analysis of 496 artifacts collected from RealDoll revealed a lack of transparent data procedures. While regulation is a significant point of tension in the sex robot industry, without government oversight, the issue remains a discursive strategy to debate the rationale of sex robots at large. Data also shows corporate stakeholders’ interest in expanding beyond the sex industry into the technology sector, viewing their robot as a platform with general applications. This research adds to institutional critical studies on AI privacy and the regulation of sexual products.