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Photos| Smart bots: China’s sex doll makers jump on AI drive
Beijing's aim to turn the country into an artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouse and some Chinese entrepreneurs is taking the expertise to a new frontier of sex dolls. One of China’s biggest sex doll makers, WMDOLL launched AI-powered dolls that offer features ranging from simple conversation to moving eyes, arms and torsos. With experts not having much interest into developing AI technology for adult products, the firm had difficulty upgrading the product but the company hopes the AI dolls will eventually take off with overseas customers, including those in the United States.
Updated on: Jul 27, 2018 9:55 AM IST
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A worker assembles a sex doll at the WMDOLL factory in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China. Amid Beijing’s push to turn the country into an artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouse and embed the technology in all facets of life, some Chinese entrepreneurs are taking the expertise to a new frontier: sex dolls. (Aly Song / REUTERS)
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A sex doll's metal skeleton is seen on the operating platform. WMDOLL, one of China’s biggest sex doll makers, which is based in the southeastern province of Guangdong, launched what it calls AI-powered dolls at end of 2016 that offer features ranging from simple conversation to moving eyes, arms and torsos. (Aly Song / REUTERS)
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A worker prepares to test an artificial intelligence (AI) enhanced sex doll. Customers can personalise their dolls by choosing various appearance options including height, hairstyle and eye colour. (Aly Song / REUTERS)
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AI features on the dolls are still very basic: they can answer questions but cannot hold longer conversations. The doll uses vocabulary by connecting to a database supported by Chinese tech giant Baidu. (Aly Song / REUTERS)
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A worker attaches a nail to a doll's finger. The firm admits improving the features has been difficult partly because experts aren’t interested in putting much effort into developing AI technology for adult products. (Aly Song / REUTERS)
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Employees work at the WMDOLL factory. The factory has over 200 full-time workers, all dolls are handmade and each requires the cooperation of at least five workers. (Aly Song / REUTERS)
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Wigs are displayed on a shelf. “Of course we’re not expecting to make our AI dolls that human-like, after all we’re just making adult products,” said Liu Ding, WMDOLL product manager. “But we will surely add more advanced technologies... for example making the limbs move more naturally,” he added. (Aly Song / REUTERS)
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A worker takes a photo of a doll. WMDOLL said it has sold more than 20 of the AI dolls, which are priced between 10,000 yuan and 50,000 yuan ($1,470 to $7,350), compared with their annual sales of 20,000 dolls. (Aly Song / REUTERS)
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The company hopes the AI dolls will eventually take off with overseas customers, including those in the United States - exports account for 80% of their sales, and half of their overseas shipments go to the United States. (Aly Song / REUTERS)
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