In the future, people will marry robots. Well, we knew we were headed down a slippery slope with all the gay marriage stuff. I'll bet Massachusetts will be the first state to allow it. The state supreme court will no doubt insist.

Anyway, I, for one, welcome our new robot overladies.

If they leve you do they get half?

I want my Adrienne Barbeaubot!

Okay, they can have their fun now but when they have kids and argue about what species they should be raised as...

There's been only a few dozen short stories preparing me for the future.

When humanity and robots kill themselves in a big war over this looking alike thing, you'll dig yourself out of the rubble and there will be one girl and one other guy left in the world. The other guy will pretend he's a robot in order to appear superior to you. Then he'll reveal (after you slink away) that he lied to the girl. That's when you sneak back and bop him over the head. Then you annouce that she'd rather have someone who tells the truth and ummm, is still alive. She'll then coyly reveal that she's a robot. Take that as your cue to kiss her. Happily every after till your inferior human body gives out. BTW, you're Adam and she's Eve for some reason. Don't know why, just go with it.

There is a solution to the "your robot spouse will outlive you" thing.

Buy Microsoft.

It's disgusting the way men objectify robots.

I'm telling you Jetson, that Uniblab has got a sister that's built like a titanium outhouse!

It seems logical to me. If and when AIs evolve or are grown, why not?

Bear in mind that my attitude towards marriage has been forcibly expanded.

1985 - Diagnosed with Undervirilised fertile male syndrome
2005 - Diagnosis revised to Severe androgenisation of a non-pregnant female.

The medical tests back it up too. I'm not looking forward to explaining it to my son when he's old enough.

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "mail order bride":-).

I wonder though, there's likely to be quite a bit of demand for the perfect wife. A chef in the kitchen, a nanny for the children (presumably these robots will be capable of producing human children via orthowombs and either built-in cloning facilities or synthetic ova), and a whore in the bedroom. No personality conflicts, no infidelity, no head games (unless it's been programmed for such).

Yeah, I can see these things being very popular. I wonder how women will react (I don't see as much demand by women as by men) when they have to compete with "perfect brides" and their little reindeer games no longer work. Sexual license has already all but eliminated the whole "virgin till married" thing as demure girls have to compete with sluts for men's attention.

It's going to be interesting if it actually happens.

A future without mothers-in-law - who could ask for more?!

Factory-in-laws would be even worse, I suspect.

Paul,
couldn't we just get them programmed to NOT be a pain?

Saw a great t-shirt the other day:

"I Treat Objects Like Women."

In the future, people will marry robots.

You mean everyone will marry Al Gore?

I just hope the Chinese manufacturers stop using lead-based paint by then...

You can't stop the signal.

I'm reminded of this Star Trek episode...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_for_Methuselah_(TOS_episode)

Wherin the conclusion (it seems to me) is that if you create an AI that truly has that which we call free will and consciousness...then it may well develop its own agenda that might not include a relatioship with you.

IOW, just like an organic sentient. You're effectively back where you started.

Now, if you want something with rather less free will, 'hard wired' to be a loyal devoted electronic geisha, that's fine, but in the long run (and when we get Flint-like life spans, the 'long run' matters) s/he may also be rather less interesting to live with. 'Cherry 2000' is one example;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_2000

...but 'Gigolo Joe' from 'AI: Artificial Intelligence' is probably a better one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence:_A.I.

Hehe - just think guys - that "RealDolls" website that nobody admits to visiting would clean up on advertizing banner ads! They could set it up to order one just like a Dell computer: Height / Weight / Hair Color / Boob size for the, um, "hardware", and the "software" could be behavioral characteristics: Choose One "mode": Wife / Mistress / Hooker / Secretary etc.

The possibilities are endless....

Factory-in-laws would be even worse, I suspect.

Not necessarily. Picture it:

"Your call is very important to us..."