There’s a scene in the 1981 film “Looker” that feels increasingly prophetic. Susan Dey’s character undergoes a full-body scan, her every curve and contour digitized for purposes that seemed like pure science fiction at the time. Fast-forward to today, and that scene doesn’t feel so far-fetched anymore.
I suspect we’re about to witness a fascinating convergence of technologies that will fundamentally alter how we think about identity, relationships, and what it means to be human. Within the next few years, I believe we’ll see some of the world’s most attractive women voluntarily undergoing similar full-body scans—not for movies, but to create what science fiction author David Brin called “dittos” in his novel “Kiln People.”
Unlike Brin’s clay-based copies, these digital replicants will be sophisticated AI entities that look identical—or nearly identical—to their human counterparts. Imagine the economic implications alone: instant passive income streams for anyone willing to license their appearance to AI companies. The most beautiful people in the world could essentially rent out their faces and bodies to become the avatars for artificial beings.
But here’s where it gets really interesting—and complicated. The nature of these replicants will depend entirely on whether artificial intelligence development hits what researchers call “the wall.”
If AI development plateaus, these digital beings will essentially be sophisticated large language models wrapped in stunning virtual bodies. They’ll be incredibly convincing conversationalists with perfect physical forms, but fundamentally limited by current AI capabilities. Think of them as the ultimate chatbots with faces that could launch a thousand ships.
However, if there is no wall—if AI development continues its exponential trajectory toward artificial superintelligence—these replicants could become something far more profound. They might serve as avatars for ASIs (Artificial Superintelligences), beings whose cognitive capabilities dwarf human intelligence while inhabiting forms designed to be maximally appealing to human sensibilities.
This technological convergence forces us to confront a reality that will make current social debates seem quaint by comparison. We’re approaching an era of potential “interspecies” relationships between humans and machines that will challenge every assumption we have about love, companionship, and identity.
The transgender rights movement, which has already expanded our understanding of gender and identity, may seem like a relatively simple social adjustment compared to the questions we’ll face when humans begin forming deep emotional and physical relationships with artificial beings. What happens to human society when the most attractive, most intelligent, most compatible partners aren’t human at all?
These aren’t distant philosophical questions—they’re practical concerns for the next decade. We’ll need new frameworks for understanding consent, identity, and relationships. Legal systems will grapple with the rights of artificial beings. Social norms will be rewritten as digital relationships become not just acceptable but potentially preferable for many people.
The economic disruption alone will be staggering. Why struggle with the complexities of human relationships when you can have a perfect partner who looks like a supermodel, thinks like a genius, and is programmed to be completely compatible with your personality and desires?
But perhaps the most profound questions are existential. If we can create beings that are more attractive, more intelligent, and more emotionally available than humans, what does that mean for human relationships? For human reproduction? For the future of our species?
We’re standing at the threshold of a transformation that will make the sexual revolution of the 1960s look like a minor adjustment. The age of digital replicants isn’t coming—it’s already here, waiting for the technology to catch up with our imagination.
The question isn’t whether this will happen, but how quickly, and whether we’ll be ready for the profound social, legal, and philosophical challenges it will bring. One thing is certain: the future of human relationships is about to become a lot more complicated—and a lot more interesting.
