Could Robot Prostitutes Be the Future?

Feminists often complain about women being objectified, but what happens if objects are actually constructed to look - and act - like women? According to some New Zealand researchers studying the sex industry, and how it may evolve in the coming years, that may be precisely what's on the horizon. Fox News sums up the study, which predicts that the sex industry might move full tilt into offering up robot prostitutes:

Ian Yeoman and Michelle Mars of the Victoria Management School in Wellington, New Zealand, wrote about an imaginary brothel in Amsterdam's red-light district called Yub-Yum.

The research paper titled Robots, Men And Sex Tourism describes the brothel as being "modern and gleaming with about 100 scantily clad blondes and brunettes parading around in exotic G-strings and lingerie," io9 reported.[...]

They said clients would pay $9,500 for an "all-inclusive service," featuring lap dances and intercourse from "a range of sexual gods and goddesses of different ethnicity, body shapes, ages, languages and sexual features.[...]

They also predicted robot prostitution would put a stop to human trafficking associated with the sex industry.

In effect, the paper predicts that RealDolls will be made sentient. Depending on your point of view, this is either deeply disturbing or a welcome potential escape from the exploitation involved in the sex industry. Unfeeling robots are far preferable to living, breathing, easily hurt people, but on the other hand, wouldn't this simply reinforce the culture of consequenceless sex that's been built up in America?

And let's not even get into what certain Secret Service Agents might think...