Fiction that’s becoming fact

SEX robots have long been a part of science fiction, and are often used by writers to show the menacing side of technology.

In the 2015 film Ex Machina, programmer Nathan (Oscar Isaac) has cold and cruel sex with his creation, Ava (Alicia Vikander). However, she has the last laugh when she kills him and escapes to live covertly among humans.

In the TV series Westworld, Thandie Newton plays brothel madame Maeve Millay who is frequently killed by guests during sex only to be patched up and put back to work again. In Channel 4’s Humans, Anita is a domestic nanny robot. But her male owner initiates her sex programme – much to the disgust of his wife when she finds out.

Another robot in the show, Niska, acts as a prostitute, and later goes on to kill one of her clients.

In Blade Runner, Pris, a ‘basic pleasure model’ robot, goes on to become a brutal and cold killer.

Sometimes, however, humans are the biggest villains. In AI, directed by Steven Spielberg, prostitute robot Gigolo Joe – played by Jude Law – is framed for murder and later killed.