it has been suggested that ‘the cultural moment belongs to sex robots’ and that ‘sex dolls are along for the ride’ (Ruberg
2022, 24). Nowhere is this more evident than in the ‘sex robot brothel’ controversies
that have materialized across Asia, Europe, and North America over the past two
decades. Despite often self-describing or being described as ‘sex robot brothels’, these
enterprises are typically commercial venues or private residences that rent lifelike sex
dolls by the hour. None of these establishments provide access to existing sex robots –
hyper-realistic silicone sex dolls equipped with robotic heads and accompanying AI soft-
ware.2 Similarly, none but one of these businesses offers the services of human sex
workers despite billing themselves and being billed as brothels – premises where sex
workers engage in sexual services with clients (OED.com).3 A standout business is that
of Cybrothel. Established in 2020 and based in Berlin, Cybrothel provides a unique ‘Ana-
logue AI’ brothel experience wherein customers can rent synthetic sex dolls who are
‘brought to life’ by remotely located voice actresses/sex workers using strategically
placed cameras and speakers (Culley 2023; Hanson and Smith 2024).

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23268743.2025.2476955