March of Progress: Smart Talking Sex Dolls Come to China (PHOTO)

As China’s population continues to age and men in the country still outnumber women by the millions, a sex doll manufacturer called EXDOLL, based in the city of Dalian, seeks to help mitigate these problems by providing companionship for lonely men and care for the elderly with the help of their new creations.

A prototype talking sex doll called Xiaodie is outfitted with a WiFi port and can respond to verbal commands or receive instructions via a phone app. Xiaodie costs about 25,000 yuan (about $3,978), which is significantly more expensive than ordinary sex dolls that the company has been manufacturing since 2009 and selling for about 2,500 yuan ($398) apiece.

"China has a shortage of women, and this is a factor in why there's this demand, but they're not just for sex… We're designing them so they can have meaningful conversations with you and help with chores around the house. They could eventually even work as medical assistants or receptionists," EXDOLL marketing director Wu Xingliang told AFP.

The company seeks to outfit its dolls with actual artificial intelligence to make them as lifelike as possible.