On subject of machine not having gender, I'm a bit confused because aren't most AI created with a gender in mind, named with a gendered name and given a body or avatar of said gender? Humans usually don't create genderless AIs. This means the machines, having a gendered mind, would have a gender. Unless it's the few genderless ones. And it's not even that imbrication of self with another requires the existence of gender? All it requires is a desire and a capacity for said imbrication. What did he think of bacteria sex between two (presumably) genderless bacteria? Some bacteria have no sex as we know it and probably no gender, but has this thing where they form a bridge between themselves and exchange genetic codes. They don't have two types of shapes where one shape can only exchange with another shape. Gender isn't required for this kind of thing. Plus we have homosexual relationships, and the imbrication happen between them without the need of plurality of gender.

...What does gender do, anyway? Is there a purpose to it? Is it merely a by-product of having two sexes? Is it for diversity?

(Now I'm tempted to revive my abandoned sci-fi novel project. If only to play around with ideas.)