Âé¶¹ÒùÔº


Desire in code: Legal perspectives on sex robots and consent

sex robot
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Carlotta Rigotti, postdoctoral researcher at eLaw—Center for Law and Digital Technologies, has published a , "Desire in Code: Legal Perspectives on Sex Robots and Consent," in Law, Culture and the Humanities.

The paper was first presented at the Legal Technologies and the Bodies conference and later selected for a special issue. It forms part of Carlotta's ongoing research on the regulation of gendered technologies, focusing here on the intersection of sex robots, rape, and sexual consent.

Designed primarily for a cisgender, heterosexual male market, sex robots risk reinforcing women's subordination and oppression. Their ability to simulate consent further complicates their legal and societal positioning.

While has been suggested, the article explores regulatory alternatives that integrate affirmative consent into . In particular, it examines the potential of the AI Act and its provisions on codes of conduct to shape such developments.

More information: Carlotta Rigotti, Desire in Code: Legal Perspectives on Sex Robots and Consent, Law, Culture and the Humanities (2025).

Provided by Leiden University

Citation: Desire in code: Legal perspectives on sex robots and consent (2025, September 4) retrieved 7 September 2025 from /news/2025-09-desire-code-legal-perspectives-sex.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Study explores how criminal law could address sexual violence in the metaverse

0 shares

Feedback to editors