A new form of social responsibility for sex tech companies — Future of Sex
The focus of most corporate social responsibility initiatives typically falls into the same categories: the environment, safe working conditions, equal pay and increased diversity. While these are all noble and worthy areas to commit to, they are generally risk-free options for companies to speak about publicly. Whether or not they are effectively executed on (they aren’t) is not really the point; for many it’s more of a calculated virtue-seeking or reputation cleansing PR tactic.
Sex tech companies, on the other hand, face a unique opportunity to hone in on the rights and safety of some of society’s most marginalized and at-risk people. These companies — particularly those in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual reality — can not only redefine and expand the scope of sex, but help protect those often victimized in the sex industry.
Sex is not a commodity. Sex is not a right. Simply labeling sex, however, as an intimate act between consensual parties is naive. It is an industry, and it is a booming one. The porn industry generates as much as $97 billion annually according to some reports, though that number is hard to quantify. Statista reported the global sex toy industry was worth $28 billion in 2019.
