40% of people wouldn't consider it being unfaithful if they had sex with a ROBOT

• More than one in three people in the UK would consider having sex with a robot
• And 39 per cent think we'll be having relationships with robots by 2050
• Professor Noel Sharkey from Sheffield University said robots will increasingly join sex dolls in the porn industry in the coming years
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While you might think that having sex behind your partner's back would count as cheating, it seems that many people don't think this is the case if the other 'person' is a robot.

A shocking new study has revealed that 40 per cent of Britons don't see sex with a robot as cheating.

Despite this, one in three Britons said they would be 'horrified' if one of their friends started a relationship with a robot, with 16 per cent saying they would try to convince them to abandon it.

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While you might think that having sex behind your partner's back would count as cheating, it seems that many people don't think this is the case if the other 'person' is a robot. A shocking new study has revealed that 40 per cent of Britons don't see sex with a robot as cheating

KEY FINDINGS 

- More than one in three people in the UK would consider having sex with a robot

- 40 per cent wouldn't see sex with a robot as cheating

- 39 per cent think we'll be having relationships with robots by 2050

- 30 per cent said they would be 'horrified' if one of the friends started a relationship with a robot

- 79 per cent said it would be ethically wrong to harm a robot The new sex robot survey was commissioned by UK online streaming service, Now TV.

The survey comes in relation to Now TV's programme, Westworld, in which people can visit a futuristic theme park to live out their darkest fantasies. 

Professor Noel Sharkey from Sheffield University, who recently published a consultation report with Foundation of Responsible Robotics said: ‘Robotics and artificial intelligence is a long way off the technical sophistication of the theme park in Westworld, but we’re already seeing dolls being used in the adult entertainment industry and we can expect robots to join them soon.' 

The results showed that more than one in three people in the UK would consider having sex with a robot. And 40 per cent wouldn't see this as cheating. 

The survey also revealed that 39 per cent of people in the UK think that we'll be having relationships with robots instead of humans in just 34 years.

Despite this, almost 30 per cent of those surveyed said they would be 'horrified' if one of their friends started a relationship with a robot, and 16 per cent would try to convince them to abandon it. 

While people are optimistic about sex with robots, 79 per cent said that they thought it would be ethically wrong to harm a robot. 

More than one in three people in the UK would consider having sex with a robot. And 40 per cent wouldn't see this as cheating

THE FUTURE OF SEX 

A report last year claimed:

By 2030, most people will have some form of virtual sex as casually as they browse porn today.

By 2035 the majority of people will own sex toys that interact with virtual reality sex.

'Sexbots' will start to appear in high-income, very wealthy households as soon as 2025.

Sex with robots will be more popular than human-human sex in 2050.

Love and the act of sex is set to become increasingly separate, with relationships increasingly becoming based on more than just sex. 'As a society, we need to start agreeing where the ethical boundaries are with the use of robots, so that as they are integrated into our daily lives in the coming decades we are ready.' 

The survey comes shortly after Lumidolls, a firm that makes sex dolls, announced plans to open a sex doll brothel in the UK. 

Lumidolls, which is based in Barcelona, told the Daily Star Online that it is 'looking for an investor in the UK' to set up its second European sex doll brothel.

A spokesperson said: 'We are currently in the process of expanding and looking for more franchisees in other countries.

'If anyone is interested in the brand, you can contact us.' 

Trudy Barber, a sex specialist from Portsmouth University told MailOnline: 'It is not surprising that sex doll brothels are developing, as it is an easy way of monetising sex without major overhead costs, and changes the role of the pimp or brothel madam to more of a "sex entertainment technologist"'.

The survey comes in relation to Now TV's programme, Westworld, in which people can visit a futuristic theme park to live out their darkest fantasies

'However it does bring certain ethical problems to light including the rights of the legitimate sex worker.

'Nonetheless this sort of venture does have entertainment value, as one could foresee novel stag parties at such venues, and could also transform stigmas attached to relationships with such dolls should they become popular as part of the party sextertainment industry.'