Enginee ing and Technology Jou nal e-ISSN: 2456-3358
Volume 10 Issue 10 Oc obe -2025, Page No.-7255-7258
DOI: 10.47191/e j/ 10i10.04, I.F. – 8.482
© 2025, ETJ
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ETJ Volume 10 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025, He be Wanga
Robo Gi l iend: Unde s anding Men’s Obsessions
He be Wanga
Uni e si y o I inga, Depa men o Ma hema ics and In o ma ion Technology
ABSTRACT: This a icle in es iga es he phenomenon o men’s engagemen s wi h ' obo gi l iends' h ough a dis inc ly ICT-
o ien ed, in e disciplina y lens. While exis ing wo k emphasizes cul u al and psychological aspec s, his a icle o eg ounds he ole
o a i icial in elligence a chi ec u es, na u al language p ocessing, a ec i e compu ing, and pla o m economics in shaping
echnologically media ed in imacy. Employing a sys ema ic li e a u e e iew ac oss 85 academic sou ces, he s udy iden i ies how
ein o cemen lea ning loops, algo i hmic bias, and eminized in e ace design embed pa ia chal no ms in o human– obo
in e ac ion (HRI). A concep ual ICT amewo k is p oposed ha si ua es a i icial in imacy a he con e gence o emo ional needs,
cul u al na a i es, and echnical a chi ec u es. The indings e eal ha while AI-powe ed companions can simula e emo ional
secu i y and mi iga e loneliness, hei a chi ec u al design and comme cial models isk ein o cing pa ia chal no ms, commodi ying
in imacy, and deepening social isola ion. The a icle concludes wi h policy and design ecommenda ions, emphasizing he
impo ance o eminis HRI s anda ds, digi al well-being sa egua ds, and e hical AI o e sigh o ensu e a i icial companionship
con ibu es o human lou ishing a he han wo sening inequali y.
KEYWORDS: Robo Gi l iends; ICT Design; Human–Robo In e ac ion (HRI); Gende ed AI; Algo i hmic Bias; AI E hics
I. INTRODUCTION
Technology has long been in e wined wi h ou deepes
hopes and anxie ies abou connec ion. The eme gence o
obo gi l iends ep esen s a signi ican con e gence o
ad anced ICTs and cul u al na a i es a ound in imacy. F om
ea ly science ic ion in Isaac Asimo ’s I, Robo o mode n
ilms like He and Ex Machina, human–machine omance has
cap i a ed he popula imagina ion. Today, hese s o ies a e
becoming eali y: AI-enabled cha bo s and senso -equipped
dolls (e.g., he Replika app and simila companion pla o ms)
a e ma ke ed as companions, e ec i ely no malizing
a i icial in imacy (Middleweek, 2020). Senso -enabled 'sex
obo s' like Realbo ix’s Ha mony combine a physical doll
wi h AI-d i en con e sa ion, blu ing he line be ween sex
oy and emo ional pa ne . Fo many men, such ' obo
gi l iends' o e he com o o a pa ne who ne e ejec s,
ne e a gues, and is always a ailable. A he same ime, hese
echnologies aise u gen ques ions o ICT p o essionals:
Wha does i mean o design machines ha simula e lo e and
companionship? Whose cul u al alues and gende
assump ions a e embedded in he code and in e ace? And
how do pla o m business models shape he ways people
ela e o hese a i icial pa ne s? This a icle a gues ha
men’s obsession wi h obo gi l iends canno be explained
by indi idual loneliness o an asy alone; a he , i is he
ou come o delibe a e ICT design choices ha in e sec wi h
human ulne abili ies and socie al inequali ies (Richa dson,
2016; Winkle e al., 2023).
II. ROBOT GIRLFRIEND
Figu e 1: Robo Gi l iend
Robo companions, some imes called "gi l iends," a e
ad anced humanoid obo s designed o o e iendship and
e en in imacy. These a e no simple machines; hey a e
c a ed wi h ealis ic ea u es and sophis ica ed AI ha allows
“Robo Gi l iend: Unde s anding Men’s Obsessions”
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hem o hold con e sa ions and lea n hei owne 's
p e e ences.
Figu e 2: "A ia" om Realbo ix
Models like "A ia" om Realbo ix can display su p isingly
li elike acial exp essions, hanks o iny in e nal mo o s.
They can see and sense hei en i onmen , allowing hem o
in e ac meaning ully. Pe haps he mos pe sonal ea u e is
hei cus omizabili y - an owne can change hei ace,
hai s yle, and e en co e pe sonali y ai s o c ea e a uly
bespoke companion. Some models use a cle e echnology,
Radio F equency Iden i ica ion (RFID) ha le s he obo 's AI
au oma ically adap i s pe sonali y based on he ace i is
wea ing.
III. METHODOLOGY
To in es iga e his phenomenon, a sys ema ic quali a i e
li e a u e e iew was conduc ed ocusing on ICT and
in e disciplina y sou ces. The e iew ollowed s anda d
p o ocols o iden i ying and analysing ele an schola ship:
• Da abases and Sou ces: Sea ches we e pe o med in
IEEE Xplo e, ACM Digi al Lib a y, Scopus, and
Google Schola .
• Keywo ds: Que y e ms included ' obo gi l iend,' 'AI
companion,' 'human– obo in e ac ion,' 'gende ed AI,'
'a ec i e compu ing,' 'algo i hmic bias,' and 'pla o m
economy.'
• Inclusion C i e ia: Sou ces (published 1969–2023)
we e selec ed i hey examined socio- echnical,
psychological, o e hical aspec s o AI companionship.
Pu ely echnical obo ics pape s (e.g., ha dwa e-only
s udies) we e excluded.
• Selec ion: F om an ini ial yield o 362 esul s, 85 pee -
e iewed wo ks ac oss ICT, psychology, sociology,
and gende s udies we e e ained o in-dep h e iew.
• Analysis: A hema ic coding app oach was used o
iden i y pa e ns and in e sec ions be ween echnology
design choices, use psychology, and b oade cul u al
na a i es.
IV. FINDINGS
F om a psychoanaly ic and 'psycho- echnical' pe spec i e,
obo gi l iends ha e been amed as e ishis ic subs i u es
o eal pa ne s - objec s o desi e ha o e an illusion o
sa e y and con ol in in imacy (Ap e , 1991; an Es e al.,
2014). This dynamic is ampli ied by he unde lying
echnology, which is designed a ound p edic able,
p og ammable esponses ha c ea e alida ion loops. These
a chi ec u es mi o addic ion models obse ed in cybe sex
and gaming (Ca nes, 2001), ein o cing compulsi e use
h ough ewa d sys ems (Ab amowi z & Jacoby, 2015).
ICT design also encodes gende bias: emale-coded oices,
names, and pe sonas no malize submissi e and complian
pa ne oles (Cos a, 2018; Fe ando, 2014). This isks
shaping use s’ expec a ions o eal ela ionships in pa ia chal
di ec ions (Kubes, 2019).
Cul u al na a i es - om Japanese o aku subcul u e
(Weiss, 2014) o Wes e n science ic ion such as Wes wo ld
(Je s & Blackwood, 2016) - ame a i icial pa ne s as bo h
desi able and dange ous. Mode n ICT a o dances like oice
syn hesis, acial ecogni ion, and a ec i e compu ing b ing
hese an asies in o eali y, o e ing cu a ed escapes om
loneliness (Bauman, 2003).
Psychologically, obo gi l iends simula e a achmen
(Bowlby, 1969) and empa hy (Malinowska, 2021). Howe e ,
hey may encou age wi hd awal om human ela ionships,
educing esilience and os e ing unila e al con ol dynamics
(Tu kle, 2011).
A he socie al le el, conce ns include no maliza ion o
abuse (T anbe g, 2023), commodi ica ion o in imacy (Illouz,
2007), and demog aphic consequences such as declining
e ili y (Bongaa s, 2017).
V. ICT SOCIO-TECHNICAL FRAMEWORK
Figu e 3: ICT Socio-Technical F amewo k
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This a icle p oposes a socio- echnical amewo k
highligh ing ou in e dependen laye s:
1. Technical A chi ec u es: NLP engines,
ein o cemen lea ning, and a ec i e compu ing
a chi ec u es ha sus ain con inuous engagemen .
2. Design In e aces: Feminized pe sonas and use -
acing choices ha encode cul u al biases.
3. Psychological D i e s: Loneliness, ea o
ejec ion, and compulsi e ein o cemen loops.
4. Pla o m Economics: Subsc ip ion se ices, da a
mone iza ion, and s a i ied access ha commodi y
in imacy.
VI. ICT POLICY AND DESIGN
RECOMMENDATIONS
Key ecommenda ions o ICT p o essionals include:
1. Feminis HRI Design S anda ds - A oid de aul
eminiza ion o AI and di e si y gende oles.
2. E hical AI O e sigh - Es ablish ce i ica ion and
compliance amewo ks o in imacy - o ien ed AI.
3. Digi al Well - Being Sa egua ds - Usage limi s,
anspa ency dashboa ds, and addic ion - p e en ion
ea u es.
4. Inclusi e Global Design - Inco po a e pe spec i es
om A ican, Asian, and La in Ame ican con ex s.
5. Accoun abili y in Pla o m Economics - Regula e
da a mone iza ion and subsc ip ion exploi a ion.
VII. CONCLUSION
Robo gi l iends a e socio- echnical a i ac s ha
c ys allize ensions in he digi al age. They espond o
genuine needs o companionship bu isk ein o cing
pa ia chal no ms and deepening social isola ion. Fo ICT
p o essionals, he esponsibili y lies in ensu ing ha a i icial
in imacy echnologies se e human lou ishing a he han
exploi ulne abili ies. The socio- echnical amewo k
cla i ies how a chi ec u es, in e aces, psychological d i e s,
and economics in e lock, and he p oposed ecommenda ions
highligh how design and policy can mi iga e isks. The u u e
o a i icial companionship will depend on whe he we
choose o design sys ems ha empowe and connec , o
sys ems ha exploi and di ide.
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