San Marcos-based RealDoll launches AI sex dolls

On February 6, 2018, San Marcos RealDoll’s artificial intelligence robot head is the latest product of targeted dolls.

Sex doll movie
“Nature” (1974)

The Object of Love (2003)

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004 Anime)

“The Fuccons” (In 2006, this wasn’t actually good, but it was really weird and must be believed, this is a sitcom from Japan, everyone is a model)

Russ and the Real Girl (2007, using RealDoll sex dolls)

Boys and Dolls (2007, documentary on sex doll users)

“Air Doll” (2009)

San Marcos is home to RealDolls, a company that produces dolls and will release its first artificial intelligence model.

Entering RealDoll’s production facilities is like entering an incredible valley, a place that looks almost human, but not entirely human. The main body of silicone is suspended from hooks on the assembly line. Some people have weird things on their heads, while others have their worm-eye robots completely exposed. These sex dolls now have artificial intelligence.

“My name is Harmony,” the mouthful of the robot head told me. “I have dynamic AI that I can learn interactively. I come from zero and one, and maybe you have heard of it.”

Matt McMullen created Harmony.

“I worked with some other tech companies to create a system that consists of a customizable artificial intelligence engine so you can create unique personalities and connect them to the robot head,” explains McMullen of RealDoll Lab . “As a science fiction fan, I just think it’s cool to talk to robots.”

McMullen is the CEO of San Marcos RealDoll. He was excited about the new AI product, “Because we think it will empower people rather than imagine the personality of a doll, they will actually be able to be the creators of that personality.”

Are we entering the realm of the “Western World”?

Whether you call them robots, robots, cyborgs, replicas, or sex dolls, popular culture is always fascinated by the potential benefits and potential dangers of AI.

“It’s not technology, it’s the intention behind it,” McMullen said. “For us, the real focus is on those who can benefit from life, and for whatever reason, they can’t find it. A way to connect with another person, and I think these dolls fill a gap in some people. “

Faces of the male and female robots Harmony and Henry created by RealDoll’s Matt McMullen on February 6, 2018.

Destiny led McMullen into the sex doll industry. He was an artist for a Halloween company and learned how to make masks and use silicone.

“At some point, I decided to make a life-size sculpture. I want it to be different from traditional sculpture. I want it to be dynamic, positionable, and modest so that the artworks I create can influence each other and other People are together, “McMullen said. “In a sense, I see it as a very realistic mannequin that looks real enough that people can watch it twice.”

This forces some to ask if it is anatomically correct.

“At first I refuted it with ‘oh, this is not what it meant’, but then there were many of the same inquiries, and I thought it might be a good way, and then I decided that I saw an opportunity to do what I like to do, and This is for a living, “McMullen said. “That’s where RealDoll was born.”

On February 6, 2018, one of the RealDoll products on the assembly line is awaiting facial and other grooming.

Knee joint reaction

Not something every artist can take advantage of. But when you lift up a sex doll, you often have a knee-jerk reaction in laughter or resentment. This should not surprise family therapist David Peters.

“People show negative, anger or hostility as a response to the anxiety they feel,” Peters said. “When we face something that is completely disturbing to us, we tend to do it in a mean manner Reacting, or responding with condemnation and anger … We find weird or faulty that we can dislike and despise as a way to ease ourselves and make ourselves feel better. This is a common feature of human beings. Many different situations. Especially in terms of sex, we still have people who feel better by condemning others. “

Peters said that we don’t know much about users of sex dolls because they are a hidden group and are humiliated by society.

“It still has its own taboos, so people may feel weird to be what they like,” Peters said. “But keep in mind that only one generation uses sex toys for metamorphosis. , And now they advertise and sell in magazines. “

Psychologist John McConnell also points to changing attitudes to sex.

McConnell said: “Unlike before, all unusual meanings go beyond the standard of heterosexuality and child-bearing sexuality. But now, heresy means that someone will do something I won’t do.”

In a strange way, this sensitivity also drove McMullen.

“Ironically, he’s from someone who runs a sex doll company, and I have an ethical compass. So, I don’t want to make animals, children, or anything I find offensive or feel inappropriate,” McMullen explained Say.

On February 6, 2018, the main production room of RealDoll in San Marcos.

The basic prices of adult and female dolls he made range from $ 4,000 to $ 7,000. He ships an average of 7 ships a week. A complete AI robot costs about $ 12,000, while a fully customized robot costs $ 50,000.

Sex doll or artwork?

McMullen likes to point out that these dolls are not specifically designed for sex.

“I can tell you, we sell a lot of dolls to photographers,” McMullen said. “We rent dolls for movies and entertainment TV shows more than once. It’s not always known what the doll’s exact role is, and it may act as a doll. Role, or played the role of a corpse. We even created special numbers for nurse training and military training. Wherever you can imagine, you can see life-size, fairly practical weighted and reasonable numbers And then people will find it useful. “

RealDoll was also the inspiration for Lars and the Real Girl, and McMullen worked with filmmakers to create dolls used in the film. The story involves a young man named Lars (played by Ryan Gosling) who orders RealDoll to ease his loneliness. The film then shows how the town welcomes dolls into the community.

McMullen added: “I think there are a lot of misconceptions about people buying and owning these dolls, and I think they are great people, usually very kind and down-to-earth people, you don’t expect them to be stereotypes at all. But in fact , They are actually just an amazing person, and the person I met has been my friend for many years. “

Bianca (sex doll from Real Marco of San Marcos) and Lars (Ryan Gosling) shared a quiet moment in “Lars and the Real Girl”.

McMullen’s main competitors are from Asia.

“We see them as counterfeits, or for those who might buy fake Louis Vuitton wallets,” McMullen said with a smile. “But for those who really make a difference, they will see cheap imports. The difference between a doll and what we do. “

In the end, McMullen regarded his creation as art.

“Also, when something turns into some form of sex toy, it’s considered art by many people. I really hope it’s different.”

World-renowned photographer Helmut Newton seems to agree. He came to McMullen’s home and filmed RealDoll. Dolce and Gabbana showed RealDoll in a photo book at the coffee table. McMullen was happy to see his doll used outside what he called a “sex spotlight.” He thinks every doll is a work of art, and he hopes people will love it.

Family therapist Peters said that one day, users of sex dolls might be able to express their love more openly.

“We are in an era where almost everyone walks out of the closet with their preferences and wants to be accepted, this will be the next time,” he said.

The first personality doll brothel just opened in Germany, so maybe the public is more willing to go to this mysterious valley than we think.