The world's first AI lover pavilion opens, charging 249 euros per night, and the most frequent visitors turn out to be married men

For many people, dating boils down to two words: trouble.

You have to guess what the other person is thinking, remember anniversaries, tolerate inexplicable moods, and always be on guard against them bringing up old grudges. You might even have to face issues like infidelity, cold wars, and breakups. Many young people these days aren't reluctant to date; they're just too exhausted to do so.

However, humans are emotional beings after all. When they're lonely, they long for someone to comfort them.

So, someone came up with an idea. In Berlin, there's a shop called Cybrothel. It's the world's first AI intimacy experience center, also known as the "AI brothel," which specializes in AI silicone dolls. You can go in, pick a doll you like, and she can call out your name and chat with you. You can also put on VR glasses and engage in some indescribable activities...

Who are the regular customers of this AI brothel? Why is this shop located in Europe but has a close connection with Chinese factories?

I. There are no real people in Cybrothel, but there are "perfect" lovers

The story of this shop dates back to 2020.

The founder, Philip Fussenegger, wasn't originally in the adult industry. He was an Austrian director. He and a few artist friends initially just wanted to conduct an art experiment to see if humans could have an intimate relationship with machines. As they went along, they found that some people were actually willing to pay for it, so they decided to turn it into a proper business.

Cybrothel is located in a private house in the Friedrichshain district of Berlin. It has no signboard or reception desk, and from the outside, it looks no different from an ordinary apartment. Since there is no real - person service, it doesn't need the licenses required by the traditional porn industry. This model gives local regulatory authorities a headache. If you say it's a pornographic venue, there isn't a single living person inside; if you say it isn't, it is indeed providing an intimate experience. It exists in a legal gray area and thrives.

There are a large number of realistic dolls in the shop for customers to choose from. The basic package costs 179 euros per hour, and the overnight package starts from 249 euros, which includes services such as VR glasses and body trackers.

This price is above average in Berlin. It's a bit cheaper than real - person services, but not everyone is willing to spend that much. However, Cybrothel's business is still quite good, especially on weekends and holidays. You often need to make a reservation in advance.

So, how exactly does it work?

First of all, it's a self - service experience. You can scan a QR code on your phone to handle everything. After you choose a package, the staff will remotely switch the settings on a computer outside. You don't have to meet anyone from start to finish. This design is largely to protect privacy. After all, no one who comes to this kind of place wants to be recognized.

The private rooms in the shop are equipped with a bathroom, a shower, and a home theater, as well as a bed, chairs, and silicone dolls.

The decoration has a sense of future technology and cyberpunk. Each room is soundproofed, so there's no interference between rooms.

The silicone skin of these dolls is very soft. The rubber fingers can move, and the chest and hips are very firm. You can choose characters of various body types, genders, and personalities. Each character has a carefully crafted personalized name, personality, voice, and backstory.

For example, from the blue - skinned alien scientist Liara T'Soni, to the Japanese mechanical girl Kokeshi 2.0 covered in rivets, to the German baroness Oksana. Kokeshi's promotional slogan is "I smell like peaches, like the summer rain," and her setting is "a galactic happy doll born with a heart of gold." There are also some characters that seem very popular: Mrs. Schmidt, the biology teacher; Paris, the rebellious sports sweetheart; and Valentina, the language genius from a South American slum.

So, where exactly does the AI come into play? There are mainly three aspects.

First, it's the AI - driven role - playing and memory function. Users can communicate with the AI before making a reservation to customize the doll's personality, hobbies, and even opening lines. This underlying AI system determines the doll's character personality and conversation logic - it can remember your name and what you said last time.

However, the voice for real - time chatting with users isn't synthesized by AI. Cybrothel has real - life voice actors for each doll in the background. She will always communicate in line with the user's preset character direction and chat memory. When the user finishes a sentence, the doll's response voice will be played through certain objects, such as a speaker on a pearl necklace.

Fussenegger calls this model "simulated AI." He found that real - life voice - overs can provide the top - notch interactive experience. The key to success is to inject a "digital soul" into the silicone body, so that Cybrothel can provide "thoughtful" companionship and form an emotional connection of "getting along well."

Second, it's the dynamic interaction brought by VR + waist sensors. The silicone doll itself doesn't move, but when you put on VR glasses, a 1:1 3D virtual image will appear in front of your eyes.

At the same time, you'll wear a sensor on your waist. The system can capture your movement data and make the virtual image give corresponding interactive feedback.

That is to say, when you move, the virtual character will cooperate with you. At the same time, you can also interact with the physical silicone doll. The "physical + virtual" dual stimulation, with both sets of senses working simultaneously, combined with the AI - driven chatting and memory functions, has a stronger effect than using a silicone doll alone or just watching VR.

Third, it's the tactile and body - temperature simulation. The doll's skin has built - in sensors. When you touch it, it can simulate a body temperature close to 37°C, not the cold silicone. There will be corresponding sound feedback when you touch it. Fussenegger is also developing a new generation of products with the goal of making the doll react more real - time to touch, such as blushing and breathing more rapidly.

It can be said that Cybrothel is essentially an offline experience store that combines large AI models, VR interaction, and silicone dolls. The biggest difference between it and traditional adult services is that there are no real people and no moral burdens, and there's no messy hassle. For many people, this "zero - social - cost" experience is the biggest selling point.

II. What do people who go to Cybrothel really want?

Many people think that those who go to Cybrothel are just there to satisfy their sexual needs. That's true, but in fact, the situation is much more complicated than that.

The first group of people are the mainstream who are seeking emotional compensation.

The main customers of Cybrothel are mostly around 30 years old. Why this group? Because the passion in a stable relationship fades away gradually, and daily frictions start to pile up, but they don't want to get into the trouble of real infidelity. AI silicone dolls fit right in: they aren't real people, so it doesn't count as betrayal; but they can satisfy the needs, so it works.

A bank manager who has been to Cybrothel said, "I don't have to pretend with the AI, and I can talk about quantum physics, which my wife thinks is a complete waste of time." What he wants isn't real - life sex, but a spiritual relationship.

There are also couples who come together. Fussenegger calls these customers "light - version threesomes." These people usually have a good emotional foundation and just want to find some freshness. After all, it's a bit awkward for a couple to go to a traditional sex - service venue. But in Cybrothel, there's no contact with anyone, and no one has to look at anyone else's face.

There's also an easily overlooked group: the elderly. Many elderly people come here to find companionship and fight loneliness. For them, sex is no longer the main requirement; just having someone to talk to is enough. Although AI dolls can't accompany them for a walk or a meal, they can at least have a chat.

The second group of people are those who come to vent their violent impulses.

In 2022, Cybrothel sued a customer. This customer completely lost control and cut a silicone doll in half with tools like a knife.

British writer Laura Bates went undercover at Cybrothel. She said in a podcast that she deliberately made an extreme request - asking the customer service to tear the doll's clothes in advance just to see if they would do it, and they did it without hesitation.

Later, she recalled in her book that the doll named Kokeshi had its clothes torn and body parts missing, and the scene was shocking. She said that at Cybrothel, you can make any request, from mild sadism to simulated extreme violence, and they will meet your needs.