Gynoids: The Impact of Female Robots in Real Life.

ENG 2420 Science FictionProf. Jill Belli

Joselin CampoverdeFall 2016

Discuss the science fiction term of “cyborg” or

“fembot” and its origin.

Overview of Project

Do you remember any science fiction film where a robotic machine has a humanoid female look?

Explore how this term has emerged in real-live

robotic design.

Investigate how female-appearing robots are a motive of debate and controversy in

today’s society.

Analyze the positive and negative impact of these

female robotic technologies in the present day

What is the term “fembot” or “gynoid” ?• Fembots are used to refer to robotic humanoids that resembles a

female human form.

• Gynoid is more modern term in science fiction to describe a fembot (robot/android in female form).

Historical Background

• Robotess is originally considered the oldest female-specific term (1921).

• The term “fembot” was first introduced in the science fiction genre through the TV series The Bionic Woman(1976).

• Fembot term was used in the movie “Austin Powers” where stereotypical women were robots designed to seduce the protagonist and kill him.

Historical Background

• The recent term introduced in the science fiction genre to describe a female robot is known as gynoid.

• This term was introduced by Gwyneth Jones in her 1985 novel Divine Endurance to describe a robot slave character in a futuristic China, that is judged by her beauty.

Gynoids or Fembots in Science Fiction

• From science fiction literature to films and movies, these female humanoid have become existent the early ages. Some examples of famous fembots:

• Metropolis (Fritz Lang, Germany, 1926)• The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale, USA,

1935)• Cherry 2000 (1987), two version of Stepford Wives,

Westworld (1973) and Logan’s Run (1976).

• The Perfect Woman (Bernhard Knowles, UK, 1949)• Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky, USST, 1971)

• The Stepford Wives (Bryan Forbes, USA, 1975)

Gynoids or Fembots in Science Fiction• Blade Runner [The Director’s Cut] (Ridley Scott,

USA, 1982 [1992]) inspired by the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Phillip Dick 1968).

• Robotrix (Jamie Luk, Hong Kong, 1991)

• Star Trek (J.J Abrams, USA, 2009, 2013)• Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer, UK, 2013)

• Lucy (Luc Besson, France/USA, 2014)• Ex Machina (Alex Garland, UK/USA, 2015)

Gynoids in Real Life!

• Nowadays where humanoid robot design is technologically possible, gynoids have also become a part of the real world as robots have been developed with female attributes and close to resemble a woman body.

• These idea has raised people reactions to fembots in ways that may be attributed to gender stereotypes.

Can Female Robots Be Beneficial to Society?• Studies on human-robot interactions reveal that gender plays a major

role in how people perceive, communicate with, and treat robots, like it occurs with humans.• In 2019, Julie Carpenter, a social science researcher at the University of

Washington, asked 19 students to watch videos of two robots, one that was modeled after an adult woman and another that looked like a taller Wall-E with arms.

• The results revealed that the majority of students expressed their empathy towards the female robot since a feminine form robot seems more inviting, warm and interactive to them.

Can Female Robots Be Beneficial to Society?• Other research suggest that gender could be beneficial for robot

interfacing, as humans appear to be more comfortable with humans as caretakers. According to some researchers, “ more feminine home health care robots could put patients at ease. ”

• This opens the possibility to use female robots in tasks like caring for the elderly and teaching children.

But… Can Female Robots Negative Affect to Society?

• These humanoid robots have also raised a lot of debate and controversy specially among the female gender.

• The issues reveal that these machines create stereotypes that contributes with the objectification of woman.

• An example is the robotic version of the famous actress Scarlett Johansson whose design only has capabilities to respond to compliments by displaying a coquettish smile and wink.

Conclusion

• The term “gynoid” not only has increased in popularity in the science fiction genre for the last decades, but it also has bring to the real world as many robotic technologies have been created with a female humanoid form.

• Although these technologies have impact society in a way they negative affect humans, humanoid female robots can also be beneficial as they can incentive humans, specially the female gender, to involve in computer and technological fields.

Works Cited• Wosk, Julie. My Fair Ladies: Female Robots, Androids, and Other Artificial Eves. Rutgers University Press,

2015.

• Melzer, Patricia. Alien Constructions: Science Fiction and Feminist Thought. University of Texas Press. p. 204.

• Klein, BJ. College Weekend…a Strange, True Story. Darkerotichorror.

• Zuin Lidia. “A brief history of men who build female robots”. https://versions.killscreen.com/a-brief-history-of-men-who-build-female-robots/

• Weiss, Suzannah. “We talked to an expert about the pros and cons of sex robots” http://www.complex.com/life/2016/03/sex-robots.

• Steve, Rose. “Ex Machina and sci-fi's obsession with sexy female robots” https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/15/ex-machina-sexy-female-robots-scifi-film-obsession

• Daratto, Laura. “Bot Looks Like a Lady. Should Robots Have a Gender”. http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2015/02/robot_gender_is_it_bad_for_human_women.html

• Lin, Patrick. “Relationships with Robots: Good or Bad for Humans”. Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/sites/patricklin/2016/02/01/relationships-with-robots-good-or-bad-for-humans/#6acefe3f291e.html.

• Gee, Tabi Jackson. “Female robots: Why this ‘Scarlett Johansson’ bot is more dangerous than you think”. The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/female-robots-why-this-scarlett-johansson-bot-is-more-dangerous/ . Web

• Conrad, Dean. “Women in Science Fiction Film: A Viewer”. http://www.deanconrad.com/writing/sfflists/wisff_viewer.htm. Web.