Kais Latiri likens himself to a Galileo of immersive sex. "People are afraid of novelty, of innovation, of something new they're not used to," he said. "Take for example Galileo who said the Earth [went around the sun].* He was imprisoned for that."
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That's why when Le Journal de Montréal said Latiri was running a "brothel" out of a Longueuil home, the accountant-turned-tech entrepreneur took issue.
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"It's not a brothel," he said. "That's not the right word at all.
He called it a salle de jeux pour adultes — "playroom for adults."
It's clear to see why. The sex workers aren't humans: they're dolls.
Latiri, the owner and founder of Oh My Doll, has insisted his business is not an outrage, but a triumph of love and science.
After years of developing advanced virtual reality technology, he said his company allows customers to indulge in their wildest fantasies, all from the comfort of a South Shore apartment building.
In an interview with MTL Blog, Latiri opened up about the ins and outs of his business and what all this means for the future of romance.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Virtual reality sex is not cheating, he says
We live in a world where rapid advances in virtual reality and robotics are going to have a profound impact on both human-to-human and human-to-robot relations, said Latiri.
When he started testing virtual reality in 2018, its quality wasn't very good, he continued. But Latiri realized the experience could develop with time and the release of new "hardware."
"I was at the beginning of the wave."
Instead of viewing an adult scene like in old-fashioned pornography, silicone escorts and virtual reality systems — that simulate the senses of sight, touch, hearing, and even smell — allow Latiri's customers to feel like they're having actual sexual encounters, he said.
Can ladies, couples, and LGBTQ2S+ people get in on the action? You betcha, said Latiri, thanks to an array of male sex dolls and "f*ck machines."
"We have experiences for anyone 18 plus, of course," he continued.
Not everyone is happy with the sex dolls
And yes, the dolls are cleaned between uses.
"In terms of hygiene, our escorts are immediately cleaned after a service," states the website.
"You will see for yourself the hygiene measures put in place. The complete maintenance is done by handing it over to our maintenance staff in our appropriately equipped premises. After maintenance, our silicone escorts are left to rest for at least 24 hours."
With packages costing a few hundred dollars, the Oh My Doll experience is far from cheap but a brand-new doll can cost upwards of $2,000, said Latiri.
Not everyone's happy with the sex dolls.
In an online review of the site, one commenter who identified themselves as "Escort the real one" stated, "Never will you replace us, bastards. We're true skin and bones escorts and we give our clients real love."
And with automation already eliminating millions of jobs around the world, are robots poised to eliminate human sex workers?
Latiri doesn't think so.
"If they love their work and if they have passion, I totally respect that," he said. "And in my mind, it's not like we're here to replace them, that's not the point."
As many of his clients are in committed relationships, Latiri said he hopes Oh My Doll will eliminate infidelity.
"My mission is based on people who are in couples because those people, instead of going to see an escort, they have an alternative that's more ethical," he said.
"And at the moral level, they won't be guilty when they return to their partner compared to if they would see an escort."
Then there are Latiri's religious customers looking to overcome crippling sexual shame and as they struggle with their desires.
"You'd be surprised that there are a lot of religious people," he said. "They come to us with their religious dress and I'm happy that they come, I'm happy that they express their desires. It's really touching."
'Dolls will never replace humans, not today, not tomorrow'
According to information obtained by Le Journal de Montréal, Oh My Doll has been running out of a residential building without a proper permit, but Latiri is punching back, claiming the business is primarily for research and development purposes.
"With all the hubbub that's been created, I don't regret anything, not a thing," he said. "Because I know it's helped me develop the experience and the technology."
He hopes to expand his business by opening "in every city where the need is present."
A spokesperson for the Longueuil police stated that "it is not criminal in Canada to own a sex doll representing an adult person," and that they've looked into Latiri's operations "and have not found any criminal-related activities."
Latiri said he has contacted the owner of the building and said he would move his business if asked.
"The second they want me to get out I'm ready," he said. "It's not about pressure, it's about being good neighbours because they got caught up in this circus."
But whether you think the idea is strange, enticing, or off-putting, Latiri acknowledged it's raising some tantalizing questions.
For example, in a world where ever-more-advanced virtual technology provides better visuals, touch feedback and maybe even artificial intelligence, what's going to happen to old-fashioned human romance, relationships, and sex?
"I'm against the fictitious idea that proposes the dolls are going to evolve and that's going to create a societal problem. The dolls for us are just sex toys," he said.
"When I'm looking into the future of the sex dolls with artificial intelligence where she can move by herself, honestly, I'm not in favour of that."
"Dolls will never replace humans, not today, not tomorrow."
*This article has been updated.
