The Huffington Post is so energetically "progressive" that it can even ask "Can robots be homewreckers?" Over at CNSNews.com, Paul Wilson of the Culture and Media Insititute investigated the science-fiction details.
"A December 20 piece in the Huffington Post, titled 'Can Loving a Robot Lead to Divorce?' raised the possibility of marriage with robots, and examined the potential effects of sexbots on existing human relationships," he wrote.
The article is written by Huffington Post blogger Vicki Larson – who just happens to be “collaborating on a book on reimagining marriage” called "The New I Do."
“[I]magine that for a certain percentage of the population it's not only not fantasy but preferable to relationships with humans,” Larson writes.
It’s extremely telling that the article examines the legal logistics of marrying, and mating with, robots – not, the morality or ethics of doing so. Typical Liberalism: there is no “right” or “wrong,” just “legal” or “illegal.”
The Huffington Post piece quotes attorney Sonya Ziala, who addressed questions, such as whether or not a sexbot would cause jealousy in an existing relationship, and whether a married person having sex with a robot would, legally, constitute infidelity. Ziala even examined the liability issues that could be raised by lawsuits charging robot-induced infidelity.
The article also quotes artificial intelligence expert David Levy, who cited same-sex marriage as one precedent for marriage to sexbots. In a 2007 interview with Livescience.com, Levy forecast that marriage for robots would occur by 2050, noting that, 50 years ago, same-sex marriage was illegal.
But, look at us now, Levy argues.
The Huffington Post surely imagines itself as on the cutting edge of the next sexual revolution, asking the Big Questions, such as "Let's say a husband fell in love with his sexbot and decided he enjoyed her company more than his wife's. Could the wife sue for divorce, and whom would she sue? What if a robot and a human marry and adopt a child; could the female robot end up with custody?"
But Huff-Po's liberalism is often competing with its lust for more eyeballs, so a tabloidish topic like sexbots leading to divorce fits in alongside articles with titles like "Holiday Sex: Do's and Don't's." For example, "If you're visiting relatives in a conservative area, someone at one gathering or another may decide to share his or her belief that, for instance, sex outside marriage is wrong. It's better for all involved to nod politely and keep your mind on the last great orgasm you had."
