I do notice that, when Henry has “too much information at the same time” in his brain, I’m more understanding than, say, the third time Alexa plays Bonnie Bear children’s songs. McMullen sees a world where AI channeled through human-looking dolls makes us more empathetic to robots, not less. But for now, McMullen’s team still needs to figure out how to make Henry walk and talk at the same time. It’s critical to ask questions about robot consent, and whether sex robots dehumanize us, and whether the small group of mostly men building the algorithms behind them reinforces gender stereotypes of passive women and manly men. That hasn’t stopped the media from hyping his debut, nor has it stopped some robot ethicists from calling for a ban on sexbots. Frankly, he’s a long way from holding a basic conversation. And Henry, who can move only his head, is a long way from doing the chores.
