Context: The Fucking Tech! project aims to map the possibilities of technologized sexualities. While discourse analysis falls somewhat outside our primary scope, we encounter it through our media review process. This essay seeks to examine the discourses surrounding access to sex technologies perceived as cutting-edge and provide a modest snapshot of contemporary discussions about sex dolls and AI girlfriends in 2025. These comments are taken from Instagram posts featuring fairly striking news articles about the links between AI and sexual practices. Each selection is limited to around 20 comments per post and aims to reflect the various popular trends—whether hostile, cynical, or favorable toward AI. This collage also reflects key anxieties regarding AI in interpersonal and professional contexts, including increased violence against women, a further degradation of male behavior, and the replacement of humans by machines. → Diagram produced from a post by @chatgptricks, ‘AI is being used to create fake influencers with down syndrome…To sell nudes’, Instagram, March 20, 2025. *refering to Luigi Mengione, American man who has been identified as the suspect in the killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. → Diagram produced from a post by @simplyougrow, ’AI Startup Artisan covers the Street of San Francisco‘, Instagram, December 24, 2024. → Diagram produced from a post by @myvoicemychoiceorg, ’Berlin’s Sex Dolls Brothel : Where sex with ‘underage girls’ is legal‘, Instagram, May 19, 2025. → Diagram produced from a post by @neposbaby, ’Guy on the subway this morning talking to chatGPT like it’s his girlfriend‘, Instagram, June 3, 2025.  → Diagram produced from a post by @gadgetglimpse, “Humanoid Robot,” Instagram, February 5, 2025. → Diagram produced from a post by @brutofficiel, partnership with @fondation_enfance, Instagram, June 4, 2025. Comments have been translated from English.

Virtual Valerie 2 (VV2) is the game that follows Virtual Valerie (1990) in Mike Saenz’s videography. Like Saenz’s other games, VV2 allows players to have sexual relations with a female character. The most notable distinctions from VV1 and MacPlaymate are the graphics, which employ a form of primitive 3D, as well as the gameplay. As in the other games, a “Panic” button allows for quick exit from the game in case of involuntary interruption in the real world or the need to hide one’s screen (at work, for example). Description While it remains a point-and-click game, the gameplay is slightly different: the player, in a first-person shooter (FPS) view, moves between three rooms where different scenes take place. Targets appear on Valerie’s body (in most cases, on her breasts and genitals). To score points, the player must click on these targets and drag a floating hand over them, which then begins to caress Valerie. After a few moments, the hand must be moved to a new target, and the process repeated until the virtual character reaches orgasm: the screen shakes, movements speed up, and the “Climax” button flashes wildly… The scene ends and transitions to the next. Once all the scenes in a room are completed, players return to the room selection menu. While it is possible to skip scenes using a dedicated button, the objective of the game remains to bring Valerie to orgasm. The process is therefore highly mechanical and repetitive. “I don’t know. I think you have to be a really boring lover to get her to cum. That’s the way it was designed.”—Mike Saenz, in “A Conversation with Mike Saenz,” by Laura Grindstaff & Julie Palsmeier. https://nideffer.net/proj/SPEED/1.2/saenz.html One secret level proves more “interesting”: in line with its creator’s intention to appeal to a broader audience (reference), Valerie engages in lesbian sex with a partner and even develops a penis that she can fellate herself. It should be noted that the game nonetheless remains trapped within a framework of sexist and heteronormative representations.

Project context: To enrich our study of sex technologies within the Fucking Tech! project, we conducted multiple case studies examining existing technologies (artworks, video games, chatbots, etc.). This collage, composed of images from different origins and media, seeks to capture the imaginary of “artificial” bodies. Through the assembly of images and body parts, this visual map reveals the range of aesthetic possibilities for erotic and eroticized bodies. Visually, we adopted the sampling aesthetic that dominates sex doll retail sites, which emphasize the modular nature of their products and the extensive customization options available. Within this visual ecology, the marketing of detachable components creates a sense of wholeness: the technologized body becomes almost inevitably tied to proliferation—of variants, options, and possibilities. References 1 – Realbotix. 2025. Melody. 2 – Post on the Instagram account of @dolorsilenium (artist). 2025. 3 – Garcia Gabriella, Arnab Chakravarty. 2025. Project D33pthr0at: DIY Small AI for your (Censored) Community. 4 – Junji Ito, doooo. 2022. Blinking Eye Dice. 5 – Junji Ito, doooo. 2022. Blinking Eye Dice & Mouth Coin Purse. 6 – Junji Ito, doooo. 2022. Mouth Coin Purse. 7 – Post on the Instagram account of @chatgptricks. 2025. AI Slop is killing the internet. 8 – Ku, Kuang-Yi. 2018.  The Fellatio Modification Project – Male Masturbation Cup Mouth. 9 – Replika. Luka Inc. 2024. (Advertisment campaign). 10 – Post on the instagram account of @chatgptricks. 2025. AI Slop is killing the internet. 11 – Junji Ito, doooo. 2022. Ears items. 12 – Calzolari, Maria. 2024. Homeopape.  13 – Calzolari, Maria. 2024. Homeopape, in Toward the Realm of Materiality (Nero Editions). 14 – Post on the Instagram account of @filipcustic (Filip Ćustić, artist). 2025. 15 – sxtecheu. 2025. Pleasure Expo. (Advertisment campaign). 16 – Quicho. 2025. Girl Intelligence. (Book Cover) 17 – Nicola L. 1969. Little-TV Woman. 18 – Schrager, Leah. 2016. Infinity-Selfie. 19 – Weiss, Thomas. 2001. Fantasy Environments. 20 – Ex-Robots. 2024. Humanoid Robots. 21 – Laurens, Ellis. 2022. Shapeshifting (as a way not to be perceived). 22 – Post on the Instagram account of @arvidabystrom (Arvida Byström, artist). 2024. 23 – Post on the Instagram account of @angelfir.e (Cynthia, artist). 2025. 24 – Post on the Instagram account of @angelfir.e (Cynthia, artist). 2025. 25 – De Luca, Melani. 2024. Post-Butt : The power of the image.  26 – Ploeger, Daniel. 2020. Plug anal B-Hind. 27 – Irontech. 2024. Facelab.mobil. (Advertisement campaign). 28 – Ku, Kuang-Yi with de Vries Henry. 2022. Atlas of Queer Anatomy.   29 – Ku, Kuang-Yi. 2018. Tiger Penis Project. 30 – Ku, Kuang-Yi with de Vries Henry. 2022. Atlas of Queer Anatomy.  31 – Agnes3D-Art. 28 histoires complètes. 32 – Post on the Instagram account of @angelfir.e (Cynthia, artist). 2025.

Context: This visual essay draws from Anthony Masure’s writings for the Fucking Tech! project. The research was conducted as part of the How Deep is Your Love? workshop and serves as the foundation for a forthcoming English-language article titled “What the Apps Show About Themselves: Interface Design and Experience.”

Virtual Valerie is a point-and-click game developed by Mike Saenz, CEO of Reactor Inc. During the 1980s and 1990s, he developed and published CD-ROMs, including some of the first interactive adult games: MacPlaymate (1986), and Virtual Valerie 2 (1995). Description Virtual Valerie (1990) followed MacPlaymate, with a similar structure. The game was marketed by Saenz’s company (Reactor) for $99. In color and featuring a storyline with more context (the player must meet Valerie in a hotel room for a sexual encounter), the game also introduced dialogue with the character. It was marketed as “a sexual date on a disk.” The game was more developed and offered several options to players: it was possible to move around the entire hotel (five floors and the basement), as well as Valerie’s apartment, where players could launch mini-games—essentially a series of short animations—by interacting with picture frames and the disk player. The FPS (First Person Shooter) game is more immersive than MacPlaymate: the character played by the player is in a lively street, in front of a hotel. Holding a business card left by Valerie, they are led to enter the building and search for her room. If the player chooses to follow Script 1 (see below), they find Valerie’s apartment and answer “yes” to all her questions while sitting on the couch (during which she gradually undresses). If the player hesitates or refuses some of Valerie’s suggestions, she kicks them out of her suite and the game restarts from the beginning. Otherwise, she invites them to join her in the bedroom, where she gets on all fours and can be penetrated with objects. The player can also choose not to follow this script and instead explore the apartment. More interactive than MacPlaymate and more cunning in its game mechanics, Virtual Valerie similarly objectifies its protagonist. Men are largely absent from the game, except in two significant instances: the male gaze of the omnipotent player; a man available behind door one, corpulent, wearing a tank top, whose entry into the game is accompanied by a burp and a remark made in a drawling tone. Everything is done to code this man as repulsive, at least according to Western beauty standards. In a certain way, the appearance of the corpulent neighbor functions as a reaffirmation of the player’s central masculinity. The male gaze is assured as a position of power precisely because the player alone enjoys Valerie’s sexual availability. The fact that the only other man in the game is repulsive helps to defuse any latent homosexuality or any desire that doesn’t match the announced heterosexual script. However, we can also add nuance to these analyses and observe that Valerie is a character who possesses a form of agency. While this agency can be easily manipulated once players (who are targeted as male) understand that only a unilateral ‘yes’ allows access to the next stage of undressing or sexual activity, an idea nevertheless emerges implicitly: only full consent leads to sex. Admittedly, this is the player’s consent, not Valerie’s. Yet the fact that sex is not immediately accessible gives this game a distinctive position within the constellation of erotic video games.

Mapping Affective-Technical Interactions Between Humans and Artificial Intelligence Robotic Devices This non-exhaustive inventory of technical devices (applications, robots, conversational agents) outlines, within commercial or artistic contexts, the multiple modalities of relationships between humans and machines. The analysis and classification are based on their positioning within a market that unfolds through specific terminologies and semiologies. For instance, innovations categorized under “Romantic Partners” are often presented and marketed using terms such as “AI Girlfriend” or “Virtual Girlfriends,” accompanied by imagery that is sometimes objectifying, yet emphasizes the connection between the user and the device. These images also emphasize the connection between user and device. Generally speaking, the discourse surrounding most of these devices attempts to combat the prejudice of artificial relationships: there is talk of ‘real feelings’ and an attempt to ’embody‘ these characters. This communication differs widely in the promotion of domestic robots, which are described as simple objects that humans can use in daily life. This diversity of approaches, between emotional attachment and functional utilitarianism, shows how much technological sociabilities are not predetermined and demonstrates great heterogeneity. Services: 1 – ChatGPT. OpenAI. 2022. 2 – Robot Optimus. Tesla. 2021–2026. 3 – NEO. 1X. 2024. 4 – Paro. Takanori Shibata. 2003. 5 – Nebula. Psychic. 2021. 6 – Moxie. Embodied. 2022. 7 – Gatebox. Vinclu. 2017. 8 – Replika. Luka Ink. 2017. 9 – Replika VR. Luka Ink. 2021. 10 – Hybrid Couple. Alicia Framis. 2023. 11 – Blush. Endura LLC. 2022. 12 – Harmony. Realbotix. 2017. 13 – Promptchan. VisionAI Labs Limited. 2023.

Evolution of dating services (1880–2024) and ways of meeting in the context of a romantic relationship (1930–2000–2024) Over the past century, dating services have adapted to emerging digital platforms as soon as they appeared. While newspaper personal ads are still in use, dating apps and online services now overwhelmingly dominate the market in 2024. In fact, 60% of couples now meet online (compared to just 4% in 2000), whereas only 13% meet through friends (down from 23% in 2000), which is the second most common meeting context. Since the widespread adoption of AI services in 2022, some platforms have integrated assistance tools (such as Flirtonic) and games (The Game Game, by Tinder) to help users make connections. Additionally, other services now enable different kinds of relationships through artificial intelligence: in 2017, the platform Replika allowed users to chat with an AI-generated character and develop a relationship with it. New dating services are emerging, allowing users to create their own AI companion—addressing significant emotional needs and gradually transforming both the structure and the way romantic and erotic relationships are envisioned. The following graphs show how this phenomenon unfolds. Historical Development of Dating Services (1880–2025) Sources: Based on How Couples Meet and Stay Together, 2017–2020–2022 combined dataset, by Michael J. Rosenfeld, Reuben J. Thomas, and Sonia Hausen. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Libraries, 2023. References: 1 – French matrimonial ads. 1882. 2 – Dateline.Patterson, John Richard. 1966. 3 – Minitel Number “3615 ULLA”. Roncin, Louis. 1987. 4 – Match.com. Kremen, Gary. 1995 5 – Matrimonial ads. Journal Le Chasseur Français. 1995 6 – eharmony. Neil Clark Warren Greg Forgatch. 2000 7 – Meetic.fr. Simoncini, Marc. 2001 8 – Grindr. Simkhai, Joel. 2009 9 – Tinder. Match Group. 2012 10 – Replika. Luka, Inc. 2017 11 – Flirtonic. Olappilan, Mohammed. 2024. 12 – Gigi. Gold, Carla. 2024. 13 – Matrimonial ads.. Journaux du groupe Actu. 2025 14 – The Game Game. Tinder, Match Group. 2025

MacPlaymate is a point-and-click game developed by Mike Saenz, CEO of Reactor Inc. During the 1980s and 1990s, he developed and released CD-ROMs, including some of the earliest interactive adult games: MacPlaymate (1986), Virtual Valerie (1990), and Virtual Valerie 2 (1995). Context The artist and software designer began illustrating comics with a computer program shortly after acquiring an Apple Macintosh (1984). He experimented with the Macintosh 512, pushing the limits of what was possible with its limited memory and disk space, drawing inspiration from Playboy magazines. His goal was to create a repetitive and experimental game that would capture players’ attention. In just two weeks, he programmed the erotic and interactive game MacPlaymate. In 1987, Saenz and his associates began selling disks containing the game for $50, ultimately earning $60,000. Due to its popularity, MacPlaymate became one of the most pirated programs of the time, sparking several controversies. Among them were suspicions of unauthorized use by MacroMind (though no legal action was taken) and the game’s use in inappropriate settings. Many male office employees played it at work, prompting complaints from female colleagues, who reported it as sexual harassment and pointed to the emergence of sexist norms in the workplace (Morrison 1988). Ironically, Penthouse and Playboy later drew inspiration from Saenz’s erotic creations, investing in erotic interactive fiction themselves (MEL Magazine 2016). Description The game consists of a series of options that can be used on a character (Maxie/Maxine), featuring a variety of objects and sex toys, animations, lingerie, and potential partners. Everything begins on a screen composed of a toybox, a menu bar, and a display where Maxie is lying down. It is possible to select animations from the “Watch Me” menu (which correspond to different ways for Maxie to masturbate in various outfits). The “Costumes” and “Sexual Partners” menus allow players to change Maxie’s lingerie and her partners (Lola or Melvin). For each animation category, players are encouraged to use the toys from the toybox to bring Valerie to orgasm. There is nothing else to do or explore in the tested version. The sound design (Maxie is voiced by Raquel Shapira) somewhat supports the game’s immersiveness, which is quickly limited by the lack of narrative. Note: The version of the game tested in the context of this study may be incomplete. References: Morrison, Patt. “MacPlaymate: Is It Software or Hard Porn ?” Orlando Sentinel, November 28 1988. MEL Magazine. “Long Before Internet Porn, There Was ‘MacPlaymate.’” September 22 2016. Accessed April 29 2023. Saenz, Mike. Interview by Laura Grindstaff and Julie Palsmeier. “A Conversation with Mike Saenz.” Nideffer.net. Accessed May 22 2025.