From clits to robot lips20thingsthatrockedthesextechworldin2023
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things
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rocked
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sextech
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2023
by Jamie F & Oli L
December 14, 2023
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Clits got a LOT of attention
In 2023, some companies shifted towards creating a wider array of pleasure-inducing toys that cater to the unique needs of the clitoris. Examples include The Whisperer, a gentle clitoral vibe designed for post-partum; the Vibepad 2, featuring a grinding pad with a licking function; and the Satisfyer Pro 2 Gen 3, which offers an upgraded water-pulsing experience.
Moreover, there are innovative sex toy designs that increasingly draw inspiration from the anatomical shape of the clitoris.
For those who may not be familiar with the complete structure of the internal clitoris (spoiler alert: it’s more than just the small external nub), it has a wishbone-like configuration with legs and bulbs that extend around the vaginal area and lie beneath the labia that when fully aroused can create stronger orgasms.
Recognizing this, brands such as Cerē and Ann Summers (in collaboration with Janine from Eastenders) have introduced their respective sex toys designed to mimic the shape of the clitoris and vulva: the Lalalena and U Self Love.
Moreover, there are innovative sex toy designs that increasingly draw inspiration from the anatomical shape of the clitoris.
For those who may not be familiar with the complete structure of the internal clitoris (spoiler alert: it’s more than just the small external nub), it has a wishbone-like configuration with legs and bulbs that extend around the vaginal area and lie beneath the labia that when fully aroused can create stronger orgasms.
Recognizing this, brands such as Cerē and Ann Summers (in collaboration with Janine from Eastenders) have introduced their respective sex toys designed to mimic the shape of the clitoris and vulva: the Lalalena and U Self Love.
A boutique sextech company went darkLora DiCarlo is no more.
Founded in 2017 by Laura Haddock DiCarlo, sextech brand Lora DiCarlo soon became known for its gender-inclusive sextech devices. In 2020 the company partnered with supermodel Cara Delevigne for product endorsements, but soon after the high-profile hook-up the company fell off a cliff.
At the end of 2022, Lora DiCarlo stopped communicating with many customers, retail partners and the press, essentially ‘going dark’. There were accusations of staff harassment within the company, and although rumors that it was set to declare bankruptcy circled in the sextech industry there was no communication even regarding this.
Lora DiCarlo ceased operations but is yet to declare bankruptcy or confirm if the company has ‘officially’ been dissolved, although as of late 2023 it was clear that what was once a hyped boutique-y “wellness” sextech company doesn’t now exist in any meaningful way.
In summer 2023 Novoluto, the company behind the Womanizer sextech devices that’s now part of the Lovehoney Group, won a lawsuit against Lora DiCarlo after it accused the company of ripping off its vibrator designs. The judgment was made by default as Lora DiCarlo did not respond to the lawsuit, and was slapped with a $2.2 million fine payable to Novoluto.
It’s unlikely the money will ever be paid, with Lora DiCarlo ending up a cautionary tale of marketing bollocks over substance in the sextech startup field.
At the end of 2022, Lora DiCarlo stopped communicating with many customers, retail partners and the press, essentially ‘going dark’. There were accusations of staff harassment within the company, and although rumors that it was set to declare bankruptcy circled in the sextech industry there was no communication even regarding this.
Lora DiCarlo ceased operations but is yet to declare bankruptcy or confirm if the company has ‘officially’ been dissolved, although as of late 2023 it was clear that what was once a hyped boutique-y “wellness” sextech company doesn’t now exist in any meaningful way.
In summer 2023 Novoluto, the company behind the Womanizer sextech devices that’s now part of the Lovehoney Group, won a lawsuit against Lora DiCarlo after it accused the company of ripping off its vibrator designs. The judgment was made by default as Lora DiCarlo did not respond to the lawsuit, and was slapped with a $2.2 million fine payable to Novoluto.
It’s unlikely the money will ever be paid, with Lora DiCarlo ending up a cautionary tale of marketing bollocks over substance in the sextech startup field.
Sexy AI-created influencers became a thing
It seemed only a matter of time before fully-AI created fictional influencers started making moves in the ‘Hot almost-naked girls on social media’ industry, and so it came forth in 2023.
By summer-time a slew of highly-sexualized AI female influencers had appeared on social media platforms such as X and Instagram, posing in bikinis and attracting thousands of mostly-male followers and fans. Many didn’t seem to realize they were AI-created and regularly posting ‘selfies’ made using AI image software.
Many of the AI influencers seemed to be created by an organization calling itself the Rebel Runway Agency, with some offering racier paid-for content through Patreon and saying they were exploring brand partnership opportunities.
With some ‘real life’ erotic content creators using AI to help them interact with fans, for example by using chatbots to reply to private messages, isn’t fully-AI sexy influencers just the natural conclusion?
By summer-time a slew of highly-sexualized AI female influencers had appeared on social media platforms such as X and Instagram, posing in bikinis and attracting thousands of mostly-male followers and fans. Many didn’t seem to realize they were AI-created and regularly posting ‘selfies’ made using AI image software.
Many of the AI influencers seemed to be created by an organization calling itself the Rebel Runway Agency, with some offering racier paid-for content through Patreon and saying they were exploring brand partnership opportunities.
With some ‘real life’ erotic content creators using AI to help them interact with fans, for example by using chatbots to reply to private messages, isn’t fully-AI sexy influencers just the natural conclusion?
Romantic chatbots breached the mainstream
The shooting star-paced speed in development AI chatbots such as ChatGPT experienced in the past few years led to a similarly-paced rise in the popularity of romantic and companion chatbot apps. Don’t call them sentient yet, but 2023 was the year when swapping text and voice messages with chatbot beaus moved from stilted exchanges and cascades of “Sorry, I don’t understand” messages to something resembling human interaction.
Chatbots such as Replika, EVA AI, Kuki, Chai, Clona, Anima and Inworld allow you to converse with AI-generated characters, often generating 3D avatars of them. Some are saucier than others, with Replika causing some mild uproar this year when it announced it was suspending its erotic chat mode: a move it quickly reversed. Straight up explicit virtual girlfriend generators also became a thing.
Some, meanwhile, create AI versions of real people – sometimes authorized, sometimes not. Clona lets you have dirty talk with AI versions of porn creators such as Riley Reid, and was made with her cooperation. Others, such as Character.AI, create AI chatbot versions of real celebrities that may not be officially sanctioned.
Quick to capitalize on the trend, various online creators and influencers, including adult content creators, have released AI chatbot versions of themselves, trained on their voice recordings and accessible through paid-for subscriptions.
We asked ChatGPT where this trend was going.
Chatbots such as Replika, EVA AI, Kuki, Chai, Clona, Anima and Inworld allow you to converse with AI-generated characters, often generating 3D avatars of them. Some are saucier than others, with Replika causing some mild uproar this year when it announced it was suspending its erotic chat mode: a move it quickly reversed. Straight up explicit virtual girlfriend generators also became a thing.
Some, meanwhile, create AI versions of real people – sometimes authorized, sometimes not. Clona lets you have dirty talk with AI versions of porn creators such as Riley Reid, and was made with her cooperation. Others, such as Character.AI, create AI chatbot versions of real celebrities that may not be officially sanctioned.
Quick to capitalize on the trend, various online creators and influencers, including adult content creators, have released AI chatbot versions of themselves, trained on their voice recordings and accessible through paid-for subscriptions.
We asked ChatGPT where this trend was going.
…And so did more explicit ones
Have you ever tried to get ChatGPT to write an explicit story? It can be a maddening experience – like most mainstream AI chatbots, ChatGPT is programmed to not be able to produce sexually explicit material. It was hard enough to get it to write a tame story about a date involving Bungle from the kids’ TV show rainbow.
Of course, a slew of NSFW chatbots popped up. Others included Crushon.ai, Candy.ai, FlirtFix AI and Kupid AI, most of which offer AI female companions, often with AI images.
Some people took a more DIY approach to naughty AI talk. While ChatGPT couldn’t ‘officially’ natter about sex, hackers created a ‘jailbroken’ version of the chatbot called DAN: a plugin that could circumnavigate ChatGPT programming restrictions, including the ‘erotic’ block.
ChatGPT, which is constantly being developed and tweaked by its owner OpenAI, has been relatively quick to shut down rogue alterations like this. But with mainstream AI chatbots often being open source, expect similar NSFW options to continue to proliferate, until it reaches saturation and some companies move along.
In the meanwhile, a bunch of erotica-focused AI generators also arrived, allowing people to create their own erotic stories.
Of course, a slew of NSFW chatbots popped up. Others included Crushon.ai, Candy.ai, FlirtFix AI and Kupid AI, most of which offer AI female companions, often with AI images.
Some people took a more DIY approach to naughty AI talk. While ChatGPT couldn’t ‘officially’ natter about sex, hackers created a ‘jailbroken’ version of the chatbot called DAN: a plugin that could circumnavigate ChatGPT programming restrictions, including the ‘erotic’ block.
ChatGPT, which is constantly being developed and tweaked by its owner OpenAI, has been relatively quick to shut down rogue alterations like this. But with mainstream AI chatbots often being open source, expect similar NSFW options to continue to proliferate, until it reaches saturation and some companies move along.
In the meanwhile, a bunch of erotica-focused AI generators also arrived, allowing people to create their own erotic stories.
VR made another strong showing
In 2021 Mark Zuckerberg seemed to place all his soothsayer chips on his Metaverse, rebranding Facebook as Meta and outlining a future in which VR headsets were everyday household items and metaverse spaces were out digital playgrounds and workspaces. A future in which, presumably, normal folk watch VR porn rather than just bashing it out in front of a laptop.
The global VR market was worth $12 billion in 2022, and is predicted to rise to over $22 billion by 2025, with VR porn rising in popularity as part of that. While Zuckerberg’s metaverse use ubiquity seems a while off yet, VR headset developments have made it more feasible recently.
Apple’s first mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, is set to be released in early 2024, with industry observers suggesting it could kick off a retail war with Meta rivaling the iPhone vs Android wars. Priced at $3,499, it’s unlikely to usher in an era of mainstream home VR use by itself, though.
The Meta Quest 3 headset, meanwhile, was released in October and sells from $499.99. The headset is evolution rather than revolution, continuing Meta’s popular Quest line, but don’t be surprised if future models in the series become more affordable as the company guns towards mainstream home mixed reality use.
We also wrote a comprehensive guide to using adult VR with the new Meta Quest 3.
The global VR market was worth $12 billion in 2022, and is predicted to rise to over $22 billion by 2025, with VR porn rising in popularity as part of that. While Zuckerberg’s metaverse use ubiquity seems a while off yet, VR headset developments have made it more feasible recently.
Apple’s first mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, is set to be released in early 2024, with industry observers suggesting it could kick off a retail war with Meta rivaling the iPhone vs Android wars. Priced at $3,499, it’s unlikely to usher in an era of mainstream home VR use by itself, though.
The Meta Quest 3 headset, meanwhile, was released in October and sells from $499.99. The headset is evolution rather than revolution, continuing Meta’s popular Quest line, but don’t be surprised if future models in the series become more affordable as the company guns towards mainstream home mixed reality use.
We also wrote a comprehensive guide to using adult VR with the new Meta Quest 3.
Sextech became more accessible for people with disabilities
Sextech advancements for people with disabilities have been progressing well over recent years. Last year we spoke to the creators of Bump’n, who made an inclusive device designed to help people who may not have full use of their body use sex toys. And this year we spoke with the creator of quirky sextech company Cute Little Fuckers, about the importance of accessible and inclusive pleasure.
Our top ten sextech devices roundup, written by the sex educator and founder of Cripping Up Sex, Evan Sweeney, highlighted devices designed to accommodate various needs, emphasizing inclusivity and accessibility.
The growing emergence of accessible pleasure is something we hope will continue to develop as the industry takes more positive steps toward creating more inclusive and accommodating sextech for all.
Our top ten sextech devices roundup, written by the sex educator and founder of Cripping Up Sex, Evan Sweeney, highlighted devices designed to accommodate various needs, emphasizing inclusivity and accessibility.
The growing emergence of accessible pleasure is something we hope will continue to develop as the industry takes more positive steps toward creating more inclusive and accommodating sextech for all.
Pornhub’s owner launched an ‘ethical’ salvo
For a while, following a devastating 2020 New York Times investigation showing that Pornhub allegedly hosted child porn and other illegal content, it seemed like the future of the world’s biggest porn site was under threat. Legal crackdowns on online porn in the US and Europe intensified and MindGeek, Pornhub’s parent company, purged hundreds of thousands of videos from the site.
In August MindGeek attempted to draw a line under its numerous problems and announced a rebrand to Aylo and a takeover by a company called, and we’re not making this up, Ethical Capital Partners (ECP).
There was an air of mystery about ECP, with Aylo saying the move marked a “fresh start and a renewed commitment to innovation, diverse and inclusive adult content, and trust and safety”. Shortly afterwards Pornhub announced a collaboration with revenge porn platform Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse (StopNCII.org), bolstering its newly ethical credentials further.
Sadly for Pornhub and Aylo, the crackdown shows little sign of abating, with Aylo choosing to block Pornhub in four US states in 2023 due to new age verification rules coming into force. The whiff of alleged vice around the company lingered after the rebrand, with a new wave of women suing the company for allegedly hosting videos made by now-defunct criminal porn producers GirlsDoPorn.
Still, 2024 is another year.
In August MindGeek attempted to draw a line under its numerous problems and announced a rebrand to Aylo and a takeover by a company called, and we’re not making this up, Ethical Capital Partners (ECP).
There was an air of mystery about ECP, with Aylo saying the move marked a “fresh start and a renewed commitment to innovation, diverse and inclusive adult content, and trust and safety”. Shortly afterwards Pornhub announced a collaboration with revenge porn platform Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse (StopNCII.org), bolstering its newly ethical credentials further.
Sadly for Pornhub and Aylo, the crackdown shows little sign of abating, with Aylo choosing to block Pornhub in four US states in 2023 due to new age verification rules coming into force. The whiff of alleged vice around the company lingered after the rebrand, with a new wave of women suing the company for allegedly hosting videos made by now-defunct criminal porn producers GirlsDoPorn.
Still, 2024 is another year.
Audio porn got louder
While audio erotica has been steadily gaining attention in recent years, it now firmly has a place among the sextech zeitgeist.
New York-based Sex toy company Vibes Only introduced a range of toys that sync up its in-app audio erotica with the vibrations of their products, increasing in sensation as the audio story builds to a climax. We reviewed its butt vibrator, the Analise, earlier this year.
AI joined the movement through the development of erotic chatbots. One example is the Lovense Pleasure Companion, powered by ChatGPT and integrated into the Lovense app. It crafts stories based on user input and delivers them using an AI-generated voice.
Additionally, the audio erotica app Bloom has introduced an AI chatbot feature. This function enables users to receive text and voice messages from characters featured in the app’s immersive stories.
New York-based Sex toy company Vibes Only introduced a range of toys that sync up its in-app audio erotica with the vibrations of their products, increasing in sensation as the audio story builds to a climax. We reviewed its butt vibrator, the Analise, earlier this year.
AI joined the movement through the development of erotic chatbots. One example is the Lovense Pleasure Companion, powered by ChatGPT and integrated into the Lovense app. It crafts stories based on user input and delivers them using an AI-generated voice.
Additionally, the audio erotica app Bloom has introduced an AI chatbot feature. This function enables users to receive text and voice messages from characters featured in the app’s immersive stories.
Age verification (c)laws tightened
For years the world of online porn was known as a ‘wild west’: easy for anyone to access and containing all manner of troubling and often illegal material. Those days are over.
In 2023 US authorities got tougher, attempting to put the genie back in the bottle by clamping down on age verification rules for porn site users in various states. It’s tough to have a sincere debate on the best way forward on this topic, as porn critics are often framed as simply stuffy, Bible-wielding prudes, with porn creators conflated with sex traffickers and other criminals.
Pornhub blocked access to the site in four US states, saying they weren’t able to comply with new age verification rules. The subsequent spike in virtual proxy network (VPN) use in the states showed the futility of blocking porn sites locally.
Similar porn age verifications were fought in European countries including France and Germany, while in the UK the Online Safety Bill, which should also toughen porn access age verification rules, was finally passed. Australia rejected new age verification rules, with authorities in the country saying it was not yet practical to force porn sites to enforce them.
Some see this toughening up as legal systems finally catching up with an industry that’s moved far quicker than the cogs of justice do. But don’t expect a let-up in 2024.
In 2023 US authorities got tougher, attempting to put the genie back in the bottle by clamping down on age verification rules for porn site users in various states. It’s tough to have a sincere debate on the best way forward on this topic, as porn critics are often framed as simply stuffy, Bible-wielding prudes, with porn creators conflated with sex traffickers and other criminals.
Pornhub blocked access to the site in four US states, saying they weren’t able to comply with new age verification rules. The subsequent spike in virtual proxy network (VPN) use in the states showed the futility of blocking porn sites locally.
Similar porn age verifications were fought in European countries including France and Germany, while in the UK the Online Safety Bill, which should also toughen porn access age verification rules, was finally passed. Australia rejected new age verification rules, with authorities in the country saying it was not yet practical to force porn sites to enforce them.
Some see this toughening up as legal systems finally catching up with an industry that’s moved far quicker than the cogs of justice do. But don’t expect a let-up in 2024.
Remote kissing lips had social media licked
A romantic remote kissing method popped up in early 2023, when a mildly petrifying set of Chinese robotic lips went viral online.
The disembodied lips, patented by the Changzhou Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology in east China’s Jiangsu Province, are activated when you ‘kiss’ a module section on the device. The movements can be transferred remotely to a second robotic lips device, that a loved one can pucker up to, close their eyes, and pretend they’re receiving a real kiss from their remotely-located partner.
For extra realism you can attach your phone to the device, so your partner can appear on video to make eye contact, which won’t be remotely unnerving.
They were being sold for 288 yuan ($42) on the Chinese retail site Taobao.
The disembodied lips, patented by the Changzhou Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology in east China’s Jiangsu Province, are activated when you ‘kiss’ a module section on the device. The movements can be transferred remotely to a second robotic lips device, that a loved one can pucker up to, close their eyes, and pretend they’re receiving a real kiss from their remotely-located partner.
For extra realism you can attach your phone to the device, so your partner can appear on video to make eye contact, which won’t be remotely unnerving.
They were being sold for 288 yuan ($42) on the Chinese retail site Taobao.
Passthrough VR porn got ludicrously realistic
In VR, passthrough is seeing video content blended in to the ‘real world’ background surrounding you – say, a VR stripper twirling around in your actual living room. It’s achieved through cameras on your VR headset filming your surroundings and streaming them to your goggles, along with whatever else you’re watching.
This technology levelled up for home use in 2023 with the release of the Meta Quest 3 VR headset, which some other industry experts have described as having “almost lifelike” passthrough.
VR porn and other erotic VR platforms have been quick to make use of this. In 2023 SexLikeReal started producing VR porn videos filmed with male models wearing chroma suits, so they essentially disappear to the viewer, allowing you to see yourself or whatever is in front of you in ‘real life’ instead. Sites such as Naughty America’s RealGirlsNow utilized passthrough for VR strip clubs.
Basically, 2023 was the year in which augmented reality peaked at a level beyond Pokémon Go. Remember that?
This technology levelled up for home use in 2023 with the release of the Meta Quest 3 VR headset, which some other industry experts have described as having “almost lifelike” passthrough.
VR porn and other erotic VR platforms have been quick to make use of this. In 2023 SexLikeReal started producing VR porn videos filmed with male models wearing chroma suits, so they essentially disappear to the viewer, allowing you to see yourself or whatever is in front of you in ‘real life’ instead. Sites such as Naughty America’s RealGirlsNow utilized passthrough for VR strip clubs.
Basically, 2023 was the year in which augmented reality peaked at a level beyond Pokémon Go. Remember that?
Interactive sex toys got better sync support
Sex toy video syncing got a lot smarter in 2023, largely thanks to AI.
For sextech devices to sync well with porn video content, often movement ‘scripts’ are manually written for videos, providing data to sextech devices about timing vibration and other movement to the video action. However, 2023 saw the release of the Syncbot: a $512 penis masturbator that syncs with any adult video streamed on a PC device, using a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) system – a class of AI linked to imagery analysis - named AlphaZen.
VR porn site SexLikeReal also began using AI to write sex toy scripts for its porn videos, that had previously been written by humans.
VR porn studio BaDoink VR has also been updating its videos to to allow them to be synced with teledildonic sex toys, via Funscripts.
For sextech devices to sync well with porn video content, often movement ‘scripts’ are manually written for videos, providing data to sextech devices about timing vibration and other movement to the video action. However, 2023 saw the release of the Syncbot: a $512 penis masturbator that syncs with any adult video streamed on a PC device, using a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) system – a class of AI linked to imagery analysis - named AlphaZen.
VR porn site SexLikeReal also began using AI to write sex toy scripts for its porn videos, that had previously been written by humans.
VR porn studio BaDoink VR has also been updating its videos to to allow them to be synced with teledildonic sex toys, via Funscripts.
Barbie set up shop in a mixed reality brothel
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie looks set to be the biggest grossing film of 2023, with the Mattel doll’s cultural cache re-up making it inimitably marketable. Berlin’s Cyberbrothel, where you can pay to have sex with love dolls voiced by human actors, were quick to capitalize.
SEXTECHGUIDE visited the Cyberbrothel in September, chatting to the ‘Barbie’ love doll about how, unlike the Mattel version, it does in fact have genitals (albeit made of silicone).
There’s some impressive tech on show at Cyberbrothel, despite the Barbie experience not being more complicated than romping with a blonde sex doll while a man putting on a girly voice speaks to you from a remote location through a loudspeaker. The venue also offers mixed reality experiences, with VR headsets showing porn used in conjunction with sex dolls.
The Cyberbrothel team is working on AI voices for future mixed reality experiences. We’ll be back to visit when the Barbie sequel comes out.
SEXTECHGUIDE visited the Cyberbrothel in September, chatting to the ‘Barbie’ love doll about how, unlike the Mattel version, it does in fact have genitals (albeit made of silicone).
There’s some impressive tech on show at Cyberbrothel, despite the Barbie experience not being more complicated than romping with a blonde sex doll while a man putting on a girly voice speaks to you from a remote location through a loudspeaker. The venue also offers mixed reality experiences, with VR headsets showing porn used in conjunction with sex dolls.
The Cyberbrothel team is working on AI voices for future mixed reality experiences. We’ll be back to visit when the Barbie sequel comes out.
We rolled the dice trying out sex game apps
We’re all for spicing things up with sexy games because, after all, what is sex without a little extra fun?
Earlier this year, we rounded up our eight top sextech games for couples, featuring a game involving teasing your partner with app-controlled toys, a spicy truth-or-dare game with the Desire app, and a music-themed challenge using sound-responsive toys where you input a song via an app and guess the tune from the vibrations.
Moreover, a captivating new sex game app recently made its debut: Quinky. This app is designed to help Gen Z “discover ways to connect with yourself and others”. It offers sex education, tips and advice delivered through engaging tasks, quizzes, and games.
Earlier this year, we rounded up our eight top sextech games for couples, featuring a game involving teasing your partner with app-controlled toys, a spicy truth-or-dare game with the Desire app, and a music-themed challenge using sound-responsive toys where you input a song via an app and guess the tune from the vibrations.
Moreover, a captivating new sex game app recently made its debut: Quinky. This app is designed to help Gen Z “discover ways to connect with yourself and others”. It offers sex education, tips and advice delivered through engaging tasks, quizzes, and games.
We got hot about warming and sound-responsive toys
Introducing more sensory elements into our sexual experiences can elevate our overall pleasure. This year, we were thrilled to see the sextech industry embracing the idea of incorporating multi-sensory features, specifically sound and temperature.
In addition to traditional vibrations, brands are expanding their horizons with innovative features, such as heat technology, which helps relax nerve endings and heighten physical arousal. Alongside the Vibepad 2, we compiled a list of our favorite warming sex tech devices that offer a safe and spicy experience.
Furthermore, the sextech industry is witnessing a surge in music-responsive and voice-synced vibrators, alongside voice-first dating features. We discovered that incorporating sound and voice into our sexual encounters can significantly enhance our connection, whether it’s with ourselves, our partners, or even strangers.
In addition to traditional vibrations, brands are expanding their horizons with innovative features, such as heat technology, which helps relax nerve endings and heighten physical arousal. Alongside the Vibepad 2, we compiled a list of our favorite warming sex tech devices that offer a safe and spicy experience.
Furthermore, the sextech industry is witnessing a surge in music-responsive and voice-synced vibrators, alongside voice-first dating features. We discovered that incorporating sound and voice into our sexual encounters can significantly enhance our connection, whether it’s with ourselves, our partners, or even strangers.
A vibrating ‘ball-dildo’ scared us a little
This year we were finally, finally blessed with a vibrating sex toy that you stuff your balls and scrotum into then use to penetrate your partner.
The mildly terrifying Viballdo, created by the Nadgerz company, was the sequel product to the Balldo: the original dildo you put your balls inside. The company’s creative use of new words such as “ballsex” and “ballgasm” didn’t really take off around the original product’s release, but they claimed demand for the Balldo was high, hence the new vibrating version.
Nadgerz said the design was based on the concept that nerve endings are particularly prevalent on the skin of the scrotum, so the area may be particularly good for penetrative stimulation. Whatever – in an industry where pleasure products are marketed as pure “wellness” devices and many adverts have the tone of skin cream campaigns, it was oddly reassuring to see a totally batshit vibrator pop up.
The mildly terrifying Viballdo, created by the Nadgerz company, was the sequel product to the Balldo: the original dildo you put your balls inside. The company’s creative use of new words such as “ballsex” and “ballgasm” didn’t really take off around the original product’s release, but they claimed demand for the Balldo was high, hence the new vibrating version.
Nadgerz said the design was based on the concept that nerve endings are particularly prevalent on the skin of the scrotum, so the area may be particularly good for penetrative stimulation. Whatever – in an industry where pleasure products are marketed as pure “wellness” devices and many adverts have the tone of skin cream campaigns, it was oddly reassuring to see a totally batshit vibrator pop up.
Autoblow set its sights on ‘mind-controlled’ toys
The quest for the ultimate hands-free sextech device took an interesting turn this year, with the news that Autoblow had conducted experiments regarding a blow job machine controlled by the mind.
Scientists in Canada were said to have achieved “moderate” success in an experiment tha saw an Autoblow being controlled via electroencephalography (EEG): a method of recording and transferring brain waves into data that can be interpreted by computers.
It’ll be years before the technology is perfected, if it ever indeed is. In the meantime Autoblow honed its AI blow job devices, releasing the Autoblow AI Ultra in late 2023: the company’s first device in the sector that’s able to sync with videos in a video library the company manages.
Scientists in Canada were said to have achieved “moderate” success in an experiment tha saw an Autoblow being controlled via electroencephalography (EEG): a method of recording and transferring brain waves into data that can be interpreted by computers.
It’ll be years before the technology is perfected, if it ever indeed is. In the meantime Autoblow honed its AI blow job devices, releasing the Autoblow AI Ultra in late 2023: the company’s first device in the sector that’s able to sync with videos in a video library the company manages.
Our ‘Sextech in Africa’ series came out
In the US it might be no big deal to post about your sextech devices on social media, and bang on about how they help your “wellness” levels. But it’s not so easy to start these discussions in many other parts of the world.
This summer we launched a three-part feature series about sextech in Africa, looking at sexual identity, stigma, legal and cultural issues, and the future of the field on the continent, where progress has been slower than many had hoped.
Check out parts one, two and three of the series.
This summer we launched a three-part feature series about sextech in Africa, looking at sexual identity, stigma, legal and cultural issues, and the future of the field on the continent, where progress has been slower than many had hoped.
Check out parts one, two and three of the series.
Sex robots failed to take over the world… again
2023 was yet another year that didn’t see AI take control of the world’s weaponry and create a nuclear holocaust, or having sex with robots become as normal as eating toast for breakfast.
Sex robots remain a popular tabloid news topic, and it was gleefully reported this year that RealDoll, perhaps the best-known sex robot brand in the western world, was developing sex robots that use AI for realistic torso movements. However, most sex robots remain extremely expensive glorified sex dolls, with stilted chat ability if they can talk at all.
Mo Gawdat, a former senior executive at Google, recently talked about how AI-powered sex robots could eventually be so realistic that they could replace humans as romantic or sex partners. But despite the efforts of some excitable sections of the media, this is speculative and won’t be realized for decades, if ever.
This year’s International Congress on Love & Sex With Robots focused on AI chatbots and, considering how realistic some mainstream romantic chatbots have become, it’s surely only a matter of time before top-level chatbots become integrated into sex robot hardware.
Let’s hope that moment arrives before AI-assisted global destruction.
Sex robots remain a popular tabloid news topic, and it was gleefully reported this year that RealDoll, perhaps the best-known sex robot brand in the western world, was developing sex robots that use AI for realistic torso movements. However, most sex robots remain extremely expensive glorified sex dolls, with stilted chat ability if they can talk at all.
Mo Gawdat, a former senior executive at Google, recently talked about how AI-powered sex robots could eventually be so realistic that they could replace humans as romantic or sex partners. But despite the efforts of some excitable sections of the media, this is speculative and won’t be realized for decades, if ever.
This year’s International Congress on Love & Sex With Robots focused on AI chatbots and, considering how realistic some mainstream romantic chatbots have become, it’s surely only a matter of time before top-level chatbots become integrated into sex robot hardware.
Let’s hope that moment arrives before AI-assisted global destruction.
Don’t stop here!There’s a whole lot we couldn’t fit into this roundup
Thanks for sticking with us for another year! We’ve been here since 2016 covering the intersection of sex and technology in a straightforward and non-sensationalistic way, and can’t wait to see what 2024 will bring us in the world of sextech.
In the meantime, you can check out more of our coverage right now.
Seriously. Go do that.
In the meantime, you can check out more of our coverage right now.
Seriously. Go do that.
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