A 2016 conference hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Media Lab included a panel where participants discussed the use of “child-size sex robots” as a possible therapeutic outlet for individuals with pedophilic tendencies, according to archived footage and a transcript reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The July 2016 event, titled “Forbidden Research,” was organized by the MIT Media Lab to explore research topics that were considered too controversial to be studied under traditional academic or ethical frameworks.
The panel in question argued that pedophilia should be understood not as a moral defect but as a psychological condition, and that technology could be used as a tool for harm reduction.
One panelist asked, “Once child-size sex robots hit the market, which they will, is the use of these robots going to be a healthy outlet for people to express these sexual urges and thus protect children and reduce child abuse? Or is the use of these robots going to encourage, normalize, propagate that behavior?”
The panelist went on to note that academic research on the topic is limited due to mandatory reporting restrictions.
Another panelist expressed concern over the broader societal implications.
“The issue of normalization, as