CES has long been a launch pad for innovation and cutting-edge technology. However, at this year’s event, there was one glaring omission: the near absence of sex technology. Despite being an industry that caters to a universal human experience, sex technology has always had an uneasy relationship with CES.
This year, its conspicuous absence begs the question: Why are we still so cautiously resistant to the integration of technology and intimacy?
In 2019, sex tech had its first moment at CES, when leisure tech company Lora DiCarlo won an innovation award — only to have it canceled and then reinstated after widespread backlash. (Later faded). This controversy highlighted the uneasy relationship between the mainstream tech industry and its more intimate cousin.
Fast forward to 2024 and it looks like CES has effectively kicked the sex-tech industry out of its shows.
I looked for sex-tech companies to possibly make a collection of, and there were enough to recognize only one trend: Not in sex-tech, but in the lack of it. Onthe company stood out: Norwegian company Ohdokiits creators Handy and Oh! launched at CES, it was a refreshing presence in the otherwise fortified tech landscape. Their booth was buzzing with activity, offering a stark contrast to the largely absent sex-technology event.
It’s not clear whether it’s CES itself trying to tone down the sexiness of its shows — the show itself has evolved a lot over the years, and this correspondent thinks it’s a relief to see the so-called booth babes all but absent. : A huge change from my first CES back in 2007, where there were scantily clad models everywhere. But while I celebrate the eradication of sexism – objectifying people in kiosks has no place in 2024 – sex itself should have a place in the tech vernacular.
It baffles me why we, as a community, continue to erase sexuality from technology – when it is such a universal part of the human experience – to such an extent.
