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Sex with a robot doesn't count as cheating, says lawyer

We're not so sure, to be honest

Sex with a robot doesn't count as cheating, says lawyer
Tom Victor
12 October 2017

We’ve got some great news for the one in four men who admitted to wanting to have sex with a robot, and for the three in four who are probably still curious, even if they don’t want to admit it.

According to a lawyer, sleeping with a robot does not count as adultery. Whether this lawyer’s word will wash with your partner when they find out is another matter, but that’s what he says. 

The first sex doll that flirts with you has been created – in real life, not just in Ex Machina – and with sex dolls becoming more and more realistic seemingly by the day, it feels inevitable that sex with robots is going to be very much a thing in the not-so-distant future.

Of the 75% of men polled by YouGov who wouldn’t get it on with a robot, we’re willing to bet a number of those said so because of being in a committed relationship, so would this lawyer’s bombshell change anything?

According to Neil Brown, an internet, telecoms and technology lawyer with Decoded:Legal, sex with a robot does not come under the definitions of adultery required to legally enforce a divorce.

Speaking on a panel entitled ‘Sextech, Porn and The Law’, Brown went into the legal specifics around adultery.

And, as explained on one of his slides, “Only conduct between the respondent and a person of the opposite sex may constitute adultery for the purposes of this section”.

That’s right, not only does adultery-as-grounds-for-divorce not include sex with a non-human (in this case, a sex robot) but it strangely doesn’t even cover same-sex relationships. Yeah, not sure about this guy’s working, to be honest.

I’m scared

Obviously just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s advisable.

As a general rule, it’s probably better to speak to your partner before going out and fucking a bunch of robots – y’know, just for the purposes of maintaining a healthy relationship.

If we’re being honest, anyone starting their defence with “it’s not *technically* illegal” is usually on pretty shaky ground to begin with.

(Images: Rex Features/Morbotron)