Robot Sex is a Turn-on for One in Six People

A new One Poll survey held to mark the launch of a new Sci-Fi TV series called Almost Human has found that one in six Britons would have sex with a robot, while at least a third fear that artificial intelligence will replace them in the work place.

Out of the 2,000 people surveyed, over a quarter felt that robots would one day be capable of feeling human emotions, while 46% felt that technology was evolving too quickly and undermining traditional ways of life.

When it came to the future, 42% of respondents expect that teachers will be replaced by robots in the classroom and 35% are concerned about the use of unmanned military drones, however 11% would be happy to have a robot child and nearly a fifth of respondents would be willing to have a robot as a pet.

One in six people (17%) said that they would be willing to have sex with a robot, although 41% felt that the notion is "creepy" and a further 14% think that robots should not be used in this way.

"While many of us worry about the role of technology and machines in modern society, robots are increasingly being developed for important roles that will help protect and improve our lives," said Martin Smith, a professor of robotics at the University of Middlesex.

"Though many fear their jobs will be taken over by machines, it is more likely that robots will be used as assistants, and the future workforce could have the benefit of avoiding hazardous and repetitive tasks rather than suffer mass redundancies."

Almost Human is a new TV series about an android police officer in 2048, where crime rates soar to 400% and every human police officer is paired with a humanoid robot. The series was created by JH Wyman, with music by JJ Abrams and starring Karl Urban.

Unfortunately, last week Fox decided to cancel the series after one season, due to ratings dropping by almost 50%.

Almost Human airs on the UKTV channel Watch from next Monday at 9pm.