HOUSTON (AP) — A Canadian company's plan to open a so-called robot brothel in Houston has been short circuited by city leaders.

Houston's City Council on Wednesday updated one local ordinance to specifically ban individuals from having sex with an "anthropomorphic device," a device that resembles a human being, at a sexually-oriented business. But the change wouldn't ban the company from selling the dolls for use elsewhere.

The company, KinkySdollS, had previously said it wants to open a "love dolls brothel" in Houston in which people would be able to use its human-like dolls at a business tha...