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The introduction of something that looks human enough to pass while still being a manmade being with programmed behavior would logically change the world substantially. Though there will always be some that refuse to trust new technology, most people will grow to like it. Some may even grow to love it.

Science fiction is packed with hand-crafted intelligent beings, from AI to fully sapient robots. Maybe they weren't intended to be fully self-aware, but they often have a way of becoming too smart to handle. When mankind interacts with its own creations, what's the difference between lines of complex code and the electrical signals of the human brain?

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From sci-fi horror to sci-fi romance, a huge percentage of the love interests in the medium are somehow non-organic beings. Sometimes the person falling in love with the artificial intelligence is the centerpiece of the narrative. Other times they're a secondary character, treated with the same lack of respect as many other love interests in genre fiction. Sometimes the organic being is somehow tricked, finding themselves shocked and horrified or confused and disgusted by the big reveal. In other stories, it's the AI that grows tired of its human suitor and rebels against their advances. The theme behind most of these narrative concepts spills over into most other stories about AI. The typical questions about identity in artificial and organic intelligence are melded with questions about human intimacy. Some works also take the initiative to interrogate the type of person that would fall in love with a machine.

ex-machina

The key distinction between types of artificial romance is whether the parties involved are fully aware of the circumstances. Many sci-fi stories feature robots specifically designed for sex or romance, typically portrayed with somewhat unkind views on sex work. Some sci-fi stories feature characters choosing to become romantic with a machine, a relationship in which both parties are fully confirmed consenting beings. The other side of the spectrum is a robot that resembles a human being who has been in some way programmed to trick a human into romance. These stories tend to trend closer to horror, with a big reveal that changes everything at the end.

The secret robot romance subgenre likely has its start in an 1816 novel called The Sandman. Not to be confused with the Neil Gaiman comic, E. T. A. Hoffman's story is a unique take on alchemy and vengeance with a familiar twist ending. The story follows a student named Nathanael as he stalks a man he believes is responsible for his father's death. His obsession gradually drives him mad, until a distraction appears in the form of his professor's daughter Olimpia. Nathanael falls madly in love with Olimpia, and things seem to be going well until he discovers her secret. Olimpia is a clockwork automaton, crafted through a combination of alchemy and precision craftsmanship. He takes the news very poorly, immediately assuming that his best friend's sister is also a machine and attempting to throw her off a steeple. He is stopped, whereupon he kills himself. It's a grim story with a thousand huge gaps in logic, but it serves as the basis for large swaths of this trope.

Another seminal work in sci-fi romance is Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which was later adapted into the beloved film Blade Runner. Those who only saw Ridley Scott's film may recall that one of the most interesting elements concerns Rick Deckard's relationship with Rachael. Rachael is an android who believes she's human. She breaks down crying after Deckard breaks the news to her. However, after she saves his life in a tense moment, Deckard falls in love with Rachael, and the film's ending finds the two leaving together. Compare that to the element of Dick's novel about replicants using sex to bridge the empathy gap with hunters, often causing them to resign rather than continue their work. The book's version of Rachael has used that tactic many times, and, though it convinces Deckard to let her live, it doesn't stop him from carrying out his mission. The original novel saw sex between organic and artificial life as the only thing that could force humans to see a replicant as a person. The film saw it as the beginning of something new entirely.

Her 2013

Some people go mad when they discover that the person they loved was a fake. Others take it as a signal to change their lives forever. Still, others need that connection to start seeing the artificial as human. The concept of organic beings finding love in something that's been programmed to love them back is powerful because it evokes a host of emotions at once. It's as sad as it is joyous, as funny as it is scary, and as strange as it is perfectly human.

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