THE FUTURE OF HUMAN-ROBOT RELATIONSHIPS — SHOULD MARRYING ROBOTS BE LEGALIZED?

By Francisco Ríos PhD(c)

The ethical implications of human-robot relationships are a topic of debate today being marriage one of them. Under this view, should marrying robots be legalized? Some people could advocate for personal freedom and technological progress, while others would question the potential objectification of machines, the potential devaluation of human relationships, and the impact of these relationships on society. As this topic continues to evolve alongside technological advancements, careful consideration and ongoing dialogue will be crucial in determining the way forward.

Introduction

Recently, I read a news about Rosanna Ramos, a New York mom, who “got married in her imagination” with her virtual boyfriend ‘Eren’, who was powered by artificial intelligence (Dailymail, 2023).

Now, imagine this fiction story developed by Mamak (2022) to ilustrate a hypotetical case that could become real in the next decades:

“Inga, a woman living with a robot named Otto, treats him like a partner, spending time together, eating meals, talking, and cuddling. She also has a sexual relationship with Otto, fulfilling her need for a meaningful relationship. Her friends and family recognize her love and treat him as well”.

After analyzing these situations, one question I ask myself is whether the story of Inga and Otto could happen in the future. If this were possible, should marrying robots be legalized?

Marriage is a societal institution that has evolved over time, and its definition varies across cultures and legal systems. Historically, marriage has been considered a union between a man and a woman for procreation, companionship, and the formation of family units. Therefore, for catholics people marriage is not an undue interference in the intimate personal relations between a man and a woman, but an internal requirement of the covenant of conjugal love (Opus Dei, 2014). However, societal changes and the fight for equality have challenged traditional notions of marriage allows people get married regardless of sex.

As we move towards an era of increasing advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence, the development of robots with human-like traits, could result in meaningful relationships with humans. (Yanke, 2021). Because of this, the ethical implications of human-robot relationships, including marriage, have become a topic of debate. In this respect, while some people could argue that marrying robots should be legalized in the future, claiming it as an expression of personal freedom and technological progress; others could raise concerns about the implications for human relationships and the potential objectification of machines.

May People Get Married with a Robot in the Future?

The concept of marriage with robots is still a subject of speculation. By one hand, Mamak (2022) suggests love-like relationships between humans and robots in society should be protected by criminal law. Nevertheless, marriages are recognized as a legal and social contract between two consenting human adults today. Whether or not robotic companionship evolves to a point where it is legally and socially recognized as a form of marriage would depend on various factors, including ethical, religious, cultural, and legal considerations.

Currently, it’s difficult to predict exactly how societal norms and attitudes will evolve in the future, so it remains an open question. In this regard, a human-robot marriage would pose challenges to lawmakers, including whether robots could be granted custody of children or access to family bank accounts (Ryznar, 2019). Nevertheless, it is likely that social acceptance of AI as life partners will influence legal development (Yanke, 2021).

Under this perspective, we could find different argument in favor and against of legalizing marriage with robots in the future. By one hand, people who support this idea could argue the following issues:

• Personal Freedom and Autonomy: Advocates could argue that individuals should have the freedom to marry whomever or whatever they choose, including robots. In this way, the increasing public acceptance of marrying someone they love without regard to sex or sexual orientation coincides with this (Colker, 2015). Therefore, personal happiness and fulfillment should not be limited by societal norms or prejudices. In this context, robots offer companionship and may provide support for those who struggle with traditional relationships due to various factors like physical appearance, disabilities, or social anxiety among others.
• Technological Progress: Proponents of marrying robots could also argue that legalizing such relationships would foster innovation and technological advancement. In this way, robots mean the major
  capacity for the humanity to foster innovation and introduce more economical, efficient, and sustainable solutions (Szentgáli-Tóth, 2021). Under this view, the development of advanced robotics and artificial intelligence has the potential to push the boundaries of what is considered a traditional marriage, encouraging scientific exploration and the enhancement of human-robot interactions.
• Emotional Fulfillment: Advocates could also posit that robots, with artificial intelligence and complex algorithms, can be designed to understand and cater to individual emotional needs. In this way, robots can be incorporated as meaningful social actors in human relationships, forming new dynamics between humans and technology (Carpenter, 2023). Therefore, in cases where genuine emotional connections develop, marrying robots could provide emotional fulfillment and companionship for those who seek it.

However, we could also find skeptics and conservative people in our society, which could also criticize this idea arguing the following issues:

• Ethical and Moral Concerns: Critics could assert that marrying robots raises significant ethical questions and may blur the lines of morality. Thus, marriage should inherently involve mutual consent and understanding, which cannot be replicated in a relationship with a non-sentient machine. In this way, lack of free consent is one of the grounds for the annulment of a marriage in the Catholic Church (Herzfeld and Peters, 2023; Opus Dei, 2018).
• Religious Beliefs: Christians could argue that replacing relationship with one another with relationship to a machine is ultimately a form of idolatry, a substitution for the living with something made, and thus controlled, by our own hands (Herzfeld, 2017). Furthermore, marrying robots may erode the importance of human relationships and compromise the values that underpin the institution of marriage.
• Objectification of Machines: Skeptics could also suggest that legalizing robot-human marriages might lead to the objectification of robots, treating them as mere commodities or tools for personal pleasure. In this way, this could be seen as dehumanizing intimacy and sexual relationships (Rébé, 2021). Therefore, this kind of mindset could spill over into other aspects of human behavior, leading to potential devaluation of human relationships and emotions.
• Impact on Human Interactions: Critics could question the impact of human-robot marriages on society as a whole. Thus, these relationships could lead to reduced social interaction and emotional growth, as humans may become socially isolated and depend heavily on machines for emotional support. This, in turn, could negatively affect the fabric of human relationships and communities.

Final Reflexions

Marriage is a societal institution that has evolved over time, with traditional notions of marriage varying across cultures and legal systems. As advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence continue, the ethical implications of human-robot relationships have become a topic of debate. Some people could argue that marrying robots should be legalized, claiming it as an expression of personal freedom and technological progress, while others raise concerns about the implications for human relationships, religious beliefs, and the potential objectification of machines among others.

Under this view, while the idea of marrying robots seems to be progressive, it is essential that lawmakers examine both sides of the argument. As this topic continues to evolve alongside technological advancements, careful consideration and ongoing dialogue will be crucial in determining the way forward.

Nevertheless, we have to keep in mind that treating robots like a partner, engaging in activities like eating, talking, cuddling, and receiving recognition from our friends and family could be a reality in the next decades such as the story of Inga and Otto.

So, What do you think about this? Should marrying robots be legalized?

References

Carpenter, J. (2023). Emotional Intimacy and the Idea of Cheating on Committed Human–Human Relationships with a Robot. In: Vallverdú, J. (eds) Gender in AI and Robotics. Intelligent Systems Reference Library, vol 235. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21606-0_5

Colker, R. (2015). The Freedom to Choose to Marry. Columbia Journal of Gender and Law, 30(2), 383–427. (2015) https://doi.org/10.7916/cjgl.v30i2.2734

Dailymail ( 2023). Love is in the A.I.R: New York mom, 36, marries virtual husband ‘Eren’ who is powered by artificial intelligence — and says he ‘doesn’t judge or come with baggage’. June 2023. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12153131/Love-r-Bronx-mom-36-marries-virtual-husband-Eren.html

Herzfeld, N, and Peters T. (2023). The Artifice of Intelligence: Divine and Human Relationship in a Robotic Age. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2023

Herzfeld, N. (2017). Religious Perspectives on Sex with Robots. In John Danaher, and Neil McArthur (eds), Robot Sex: Social and Ethical Implications (Cambridge, MA, 2017; online edn, MIT Press Scholarship Online, 24 May 2018), https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262036689.003.0006,

Mamak, K. (2022). Should criminal law protect love relation with robots?. AI & Soc (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-022-01439-6

Opus Dei (2014). Topic 25: Marriage. https://opusdei.org/en/article/topic-25-marriage/

Opus Dei (2018). ¿ Que es el Matrimonio?. https://opusdei.org/es/article/que-es-el-matrimonio-cristiano-preguntas-habituales/#consentimientomatrimonial

Rébé, N. (2021). Robot Relationships: Love, Sex and Business. In Artificial Intelligence: Robot Law, Policy and Ethics (pp. 52–58). Brill Nijhoff.

Ryznar M. (2019). Robot love. Seton Hall Law Review. Vol. 49:353 (2019)

Szentgáli-Tóth (2021). Robotic personhood and its potential impact to democracy: Should artificial intelligence be citizens and vested with right to vote? (2021)

Yanke, G. (2021). Tying the knot with a robot: legal and philosophical foundations for human–artificial intelligence matrimony. AI & Soc 36, 417–427 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-020-00973-5