I Can’t Get No Satisfaction

How robot companions may deliver pleasure but not power (well…at least not yet).

With their programmed precision, technological solutions already offer companionship, perform tasks, and even shower us with compliments. It will not be long before we can them to also whisper sweet nothings into our ears. Rather than simplifying life, I suggest that the quest for genuine satisfaction will become increasingly complex. Sure, we can enjoy their entertainment, appreciate their support, ogle their perfect parts and revel in their sensual stimulation. But when we peel back the layers of any future digital companionship, a question emerges: Can these interactions truly satisfy the deep human need, not for pleasure but for power?

While robots and AI have mastered the art of mimicking forms of pleasure, from echoing praises to providing automated company, they stumble at the threshold of human emotion. The crux of the matter is not about the pleasures they can simulate but about the power and identity we derive from genuinely influencing another’s feelings. How people respond to us is a vital feedback loop that confirms our agency and even assures us of our existence. Robots may react to our orders, but we can’t yet get them to respond due to how we have made them feel. With this, with each interaction there will always be the…