Hooker

Is the key word here. It basically means that you pay for sex. Who are you paying? How much would you pay?

If you're putting a value on that sex that you wouldn't pay your significant other for, then I believe you are cheating. You're cheating her out of sex, you're using money to get it.

What's the difference between a robot and a human hooker if they are both getting paid? That one has authentic emotions? Hookers and the people picking them up usually don't care about one another beyond the cash spent and stimulation... There essentially is no moral difference between picking up a human prostitute and using a robotic one beyond knowing that you're putting the human prostitute out of a job without feeling bad.

I would like to argue that paying a human would be better than paying a robot for the same task because for the human, you are helping them stay alive when they feel that selling their body is a last resort than paying a company for sex... but this isn't the place for that.

Maybe I can explain this better.

Q: Is sex with a robot hooker cheating?

The word "cheating" under other circumstances usually refers to circumventing rules in order to benefit oneself. Applying this to a relationship would mean stepping over established boundaries to pursue something one wants, but the other person probably wouldn't approve of. Therefore, a true definition of cheating varies according to the terms of a particular relationship, and is highly relative. In my argument, I stated that it was my personal reaction to the question, based on my feelings concerning monogamy and my own relationship with my partner. That said, I will further explain my views on this topic.

"There is no possibility of emotional involvement with a robot. Therefore, sex outside of my relationship with a robot hooker is not cheating."

People are emotional creatures, and will attach emotional ties to just about anything. Ask car enthusiasts how they feel about their showroom vehicles, and you'll find sentiments bordering on romantic devotion. Humans personify inanimate objects all the time, as well as animals incapable of human reasoning. Take that tendency toward anthropomorphism and extend it to lifelike robots, who can walk, talk, and imitate human behavior even down to simulating human intercourse. Since we're debating a hypothetical future situation, I don't believe it is too farfetched to suppose this advanced robot hooker is indistinguishable from a human to all five senses. Is it still "just a machine?"

The above line of reasoning also implies that the only qualifying factor in cheating is the possibility of emotional attachment. As I said earlier, behavior can only be considered unfaithful if it breaches the terms of a relationship, which vary. However, I think it's reasonable to say that sex with another person based purely on animal lust is still being unfaithful to one's partner. Providing for emotional and physical needs go hand in hand in monogamous relationships. Falling in love or falling in lust (or both) with another person would be a breach of monogamy.

So, when talking about relations with a robot hooker, we have two of the ingredients needed for infidelity: lust (most definitely) and emotional attachment (possibly). To address the next issue:

"But! It's just a bunch of plastic and metal! It's like a blow up doll, or a vibrator, not a human!"

The key difference here is, again, the similarity to a human being. Part of the reason infidelity is so hurtful is that it knocks down the self-esteem of the partner being cheated on, creating feelings of inadequacy. I don't think any woman would worry that her partner found his blowup doll more physically appealing than her. Would a man feel shamed by a vibrator's stamina? The personal use of sex toys is a far cry from having sex with a humanoid robot.

I have no qualms with the personal and/or shared use of sex toys in a relationship, but only to a certain extent. If a person engages in self-pleasure to the consistent exclusion of his/her partner, they are not being considerate of their partner's needs and feelings. Same with the robot hooker, even if you do classify it as a merely another sex toy, it's primary purpose is to provide gratification to one while purposefully excluding the other.

"My partner should be happy I'm not crawling with STD's and fucking his/her cousin."

This method of justification makes no sense. A healthy relationship is not one that stops just short of worst-case-scenario. That's the great thing about being in a western, unmarried relationship -- if you're not happy, you can leave.