A bibliometric analysis of publications on the ethical considerations of sex robots (2003‒2022)

• DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-04430-w
• Publication Date: 2025-02-12T05:04:51Z
• Authors: Yan Tang; Na Zhang; Shen Liu
• Keywords: H; AZ20-999; Social Sciences; History of scholarship and learning. The humanities

Abstract Robots play a crucial role in society, with pioneers like Joseph Engelberger envisioning their use beyond factory settings as early as 1989. The development of sex robots, stemming from the sex industry’s adoption of new technologies, represents one of the most ethically complex applications of robotics. Integrating them into society raises numerous moral challenges, intersecting with sociology, philosophy, and psychology. To address these ethical dilemmas, this study employed bibliometric tools to map research trends and patterns, aiming to provide a clearer understanding of the issues surrounding sex robots and propose potential solutions. The Web of Science database contained 1010 publications on sex robots published between 2003 and 2022 that met the search criteria. The annual publication volume on the topic of sex robots has increased significantly over the 2003‒2022 timeframe. Jan Peters and Atsuo Takanishi are the authors who have published the most research on the topic of sex robots. The journal with the highest publication volume on sex robots among the top 10 journals is the International Journal of Social Robotics. Over the past 20 years, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique has published the most research on the topic of sex robots. The United States has the highest influence in the field of sex robot research. Emerging keywords such as “sex robot,” “social robot,” “therapy,” and “trust” have gained significant popularity, as evidenced by an increase in references and citations in the literature. Utilizing visual mapping techniques and an analysis of key publications, this study describes the latest ideas and development directions within the field of sex robots research, providing insights into the growing trends in this domain.