Let’s not sugarcoat it. Some sex robot companies are now creating dolls that can “mimic resistance” and simulate rape. Yes, that’s a real thing. Life-sized silicone dolls that can respond, speak, and move are being programmed to act as if they are unwilling participants. They’re marketed to men who want to live out their rape fantasies. This isn’t a sci-fi horror story. It’s the world we’re living in.
A recent paper by ethicist G. Young, published in 2025, explores the morality of simulated rape using robots and fictional characters. The findings are as unsettling as the technology itself. These robots are not designed for intimacy or connection. They are built for control and domination. And that changes everything.
When “Fantasy” Becomes a Training Ground
Let’s be very clear. Rape is not a fantasy. It’s an act of violence, degradation, and trauma. Creating robots that replicate this experience doesn’t make it less harmful. It just sanitizes it, packages it, and sells it as entertainment. Defenders of these products claim they could provide a “safe outlet” for people with violent tendencies. That argument is not only weak, it’s dangerous.
Studies on violent pornography already show that repeated exposure to simulated sexual violence can desensitize users and lower empathy toward real victims. These robots take that desensitization to a terrifying new level. The so-called “resistance mode” teaches users that a woman’s refusal is just another scenario to override. It blurs the line between fantasy and consent, reinforcing the toxic idea that desire can be forced, that domination is sexy, and that “no” is negotiable. This isn’t a kink. This is conditioning.
A Mirror of Misogyny
Technology doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Every innovation reflects the society that creates it. So, what does it say about us when engineers spend millions developing dolls that simulate fear and pain instead of empathy and pleasure? It tells us that misogyny is evolving, not disappearing. It’s adapting to the digital age, hiding behind the label of “innovation.” It’s being coded, programmed, and sold with a glossy marketing pitch.
We already live in a world where women are blamed for their own assaults, where courtrooms question victims more than perpetrators, and where online abuse is treated like background noise. Now imagine adding machines that train men to enjoy the illusion of violation. That’s not progress. That’s regression with Wi-Fi.
The Real Problem: Normalization
The real danger here isn’t just that these robots exist. It’s what they normalize. When companies create “rape mode” dolls, they are telling the world that rape can be a fantasy, that it’s something you can simulate, enjoy, and then turn off.
This kind of normalization bleeds into real life. It shapes attitudes, behaviors, and expectations. It makes violence seem like a performance instead of a crime. And it desensitizes users to the humanity of women. Even if the victim is a machine, the act being simulated is real in its intent. It’s not about the doll. It’s about what it represents.
Why Feminists Need to Speak Up
Silence helps no one. This is where feminists, activists, and even technologists need to draw a hard line. We cannot let “rape simulation” hide under the label of personal freedom. Freedom without accountability is just entitlement. And entitlement has always been at the root of sexual violence.
This isn’t about banning technology. It’s about demanding ethics. If we can regulate weapons, AI, and even social media algorithms, we can certainly question machines that glorify sexual assault. The goal of sexual expression should be mutual pleasure, not power. The goal of innovation should be connection, not control.
The Bottom Line
Sex technology has incredible potential. It can help people explore desire, intimacy, and even healing. But when that same technology starts feeding into violent fantasies, we have to stop calling it innovation. There’s nothing “taboo-breaking” or “edgy” about rape dolls. There’s only cruelty disguised as curiosity.
And if society doesn’t push back now, we risk raising a generation that sees consent as optional, empathy as weakness, and violence as just another kink. It’s time to talk about this loudly, clearly, and without apology. Because this isn’t just about robots. It’s about how we define sex, power, and humanity itself.
