Nicholas Patterson Issues Another Public Warning on Killer Sex Robots

It is fairly obvious that a lot of people are uncomfortable with the idea of introducing sex robots to the masses. For now, we can only speculate as to how these devices will impact our society as a whole, as the jury is still out on that front. One expert is warning about how these sex robots could turn into killers due to hacks. It is not the first time someone has raised such concerns.

Sex Robots are Vulnerable to Hacking

While most people would classify sex robots as “lust objects” and the prelude to a “rape culture“, there are other concerns to take into account as well. Considering that these machines will be connected to servers and potentially the Internet, it is evident they will also pose an intriguing opportunity for hackers. It will be the closest any hacker has ever come to successfully mindjacking someone. At the same time, no one wants his or her sex robot to be controlled by an unknown assailant.

However, the concept of turning sex robots into proper killers is nothing new. A similar warning was issued in 2017. A few days ago, the same sentiment was echoed by Nicholas Patterson, a cybersecurity lecturer at Deakin University. Although not everyone takes such remarks seriously, the possibility of having a sex robot hacked should not be dismissed. This is a device which can be controlled, either by its owner, the manufacturer, or potentially a hacker.

If there is one thing our society has found out the hard way, it is that no electronic device is safe from hackers. Anything connected to the internet is a vulnerability, and pretty much everything has an internet connection in 2018. Sex robots will need some form of servers to connect to for firmware updates and the like. It is evident this will cause a fair bit of problems unless manufacturers come up with a way to properly implement cybersecurity features. That is much easier said than done, though.

Nicholas Patterson voiced his concerns as follows:

Hackers can hack into a robot or a robotic device and have full control of the connections, arms, legs and other attached tools like in some cases knives or welding devices. Often these robots can be upwards of 200 pounds and very strong. Once a robot is hacked, the hacker has full control and can issue instructions to the robot. The last thing you want is for a hacker to have control over one of these robots. Once hacked they could absolutely be used to perform physical actions for an advantageous scenario or to cause damage.

Although that statement may fall on deaf ears, sex toys have a colorful history of being hacked or controlled remotely. For example, anything with a Bluetooth connection is not safe from harm whatsoever. There is no reason to think sex robots will be any less prone to such attacks, although it is still too early to make any accurate assessments of the situation.

While it is commendable that such technological developments exist and are on the market, we can never afford to ignore the potential risks. If a sex robot were to be hacked, there is no telling what the hacker could do with it. While there may be benefits to such technology in its current form, there should never be a trade-off with security. Rest assured this is not the last time we will hear discussions like these, as sex robots are a very hot topic right now.