Humans on AMC: Premiere Recap

They could diminish career drive in young women (and men). In one poignant scene, the family's eldest daughter can't be convinced to study for a test because she's always wanted to be a doctor, but now synths are replacing surgeons on the reg.

The robot sex thing is unfortunately very much part of the revolution. We briefly see one of the other conscious synths working in a red-light-district-style bordello (these strippers are literally dead in the eyes). The major perk of this kind of club, we see, is that men no longer have to struggle to make even 2.5 seconds of polite conversation with a dancer. And Anita's manual comes with a little "Adult Options, 18+ Only" pamphlet that dad surreptitiously slips into his pocket. Gross.

Meanwhile, for women, guy droids are the new pool boys. If the male synths are meant to fulfill porn fantasies for men, the male synths are designed to flirt with women—we see one household robot servant carrying his giddy mistress around after stretching her out. (Be warned, personal-trainer lotharios. Computers are biting your game.)

Emphasis on "servant," for both genders. In just one episode, we see Anita cook dinner, fold laundry, occupy the family's children, offer to unpack a suitcase, and straighten up the entryway. If this isn't the most important question about artificial intelligence, it's still an interesting one: How would the total elimination of chores influence gender roles within marriage?

__Which brings me to a point that's very influenced by our perceptions of gender roles within marriage: Of course it's the dads who go out and buy these things. __ And not just for those adult options. Anita comes into the family's life because the dad gets stressed out managing the household while the mom is away on a business trip. Had the roles been reversed, would the mom have put her own sanity first and unilaterally ruled to fob off lunch-packing on a machine? My gut's totally un-PC answer is no—but then again, my gut doesn't know the future.