What if your sexual fantasies didn’t only live in your head, but were algorithmically generated in seconds? Your ideal partner—hair, personality, body shape, libido—instantly created by artificial intelligence (AI). A few clicks, a little scroll, and two or three words: your custom-made sexual partner is ready—and eager to play.
Welcome to AI-generated pornography: or AI porn.
In a recent academic study, “The Present and Future of Adult Entertainment: A Content Analysis of AI-Generated Pornography Websites,” Valerie A. Lapointe, Simon Dubé, PhD., Sophia Rukhyladyev, Tinhinane Kessai, and David Lafortune, Ph.D., examine what is happening as artificial intelligence meets adult entertainment.
The authors weren’t out to shame or hype AI porn; simply to ask, what’s really going on here? Because “despite the growing number of AI porn websites and the rapid development of this technology, research on AI porn remains scarce.”
This study is groundbreaking as “one of the first empirical explorations of the rapidly expanding phenomenon of AI-generated pornography.” And as stated by the research lead (Valerie A. Lapointe): “Our findings highlight both the promising applications and significant risks of AI pornography and offer a critical look at how technological advancements could reshape the future of the adult industry.”
So, what do today’s AI porn landscape offer their users and what does it tell us about the future of pornography?
The rise of AI pornography
Pornography isn’t new to technological changes. It’s been adapted from print to VHS to DVDs and is currently streaming fast on the web. It has even contributed to the development of these technologies. And now, the adult industry is synergizing with AI. It is not just basic image editing, but full-on, customizable, AI-generated erotica uniquely made by prompts, lines of code, and massive datasets.
“AI is reshaping the production of sexually explicit content by providing extensive control in the hands of consumers.” (Valerie A. Lapointe, et al.)
Instead of endlessly scrolling to find a video that mostly piques your interests, now you can make what you’d like. AI can create hyper-realistic pictures, short clips, and even flirty (or filthy) chatbot conversations in seconds—for cheap and sometimes for free. This capability to “materialize fantasy” gives us control over our sexual content like never before.
The authors define AI porn as any “explicit content created or modified using AI technologies.” This includes images, videos, chatbot conversations, and deepfakes. Some sites let you type a prompt, while others make you pick features. Looking for an elf dominatrix in space? Done. A sweaty firefighter with a low voice and chiseled torso? You can select from available content or build him yourself.
You’re in control. Unlike traditional porn, you’re in the director’s chair.
The research: past and present
Considering how quickly AI porn is spreading, there’s not a lot of research about it, and most of this research focuses on its risks and ethics.
Critics warn about compulsive use, isolation, and setting harmful norms. It may promote unrealistic body standards, reinforce gender violence, rapidly create non-consensual content, or take jobs away from sex workers.
However, some folks argue that AI could support sexual health, education, and even therapy. These AI-generated scenarios could help people learn about sexual consent, practice communication skills, or reduce intimacy anxiety. Others think it could “free some sex workers from exploitation,” or allow those with disabilities to explore sexuality in a safe space.
Why is this study important? Because we’re at a turning point in history. Tech is in full sprint, while laws, science, and societies are scrambling to keep up. And we can’t make informed decisions or properly regulate a new technology if we don’t first understand how these sites work and what they enable.
So, to map out the current AI porn landscape, the authors examined 36 AI platforms to see what they offer, how they function, what users can customize, and what sort of content can be created.
First, see what’s possible, then talk about what it means for all of us.
What can you do with these sites? A lot.
The large majority (94%) of AI porn sites let you create an account, equipped with your erotica dashboard. Most of them (81%) let you save your creations and browse galleries filled with AI-generated content (89%), and nearly half let you decide if your content is public or private.
You can search by category, use filters like “anime” or “popular,” and interact with other users’ creations—comment, even share them. Some platforms had blogs with updates and tips (50%), while a few offered explicit games (8%). Around 58% included social media-like features: likes, saves, and comments.
81% of websites analyzed offered image generation, while 42% let you make videos, 14% had GIFS, and 25% allowed you to create audio-based content. One site even had virtual reality porn.
You could build avatars, make 3D characters, and generate headshots. Not just sexy images, but interactive characters. Half the sites let you edit or morph existing pictures, such as face-swapping, nudifying tools, upscaling, and even deepfake generators.
Some went further—you could upscale images, convert styles (like turning a picture into a cartoon), or remove blur. Others offered functionalities like undress tools, face swaps, morphing, or background editing. One site allows you to uncrop images to extend the visible area.
And you could chat with them. Around 44% let you message your custom fantasy. Some of these chatbots could call you, exchange images, or even pretend to have memories of your situationship.
A few allow people to license their likeness, but only one site had a real consent verification system for people who wanted to be modeled, which required a selfie with an ID and a signed statement.
How do you make AI porn?
AI-generated sexually explicit content is mostly made via two ways:
Feature selection (97%): You pick tags or sliders to choose details about the characters, their behavior, and their environment. Some sites let you randomize everything.
Prompting (72%): You type what you want in a textbox. Like ‘A confident Latina CEO in a sheer blouse having a threesome during a thunderstorm.’ AI will generate it from there.
Some sites also allow you to upload images or use drawings as prompts. And many platforms have tools to make building even easier. Things like prompt enhancers, idea generators, sliders, or even creativity meters to help you out.
What can you personalize?
You can basically build anything. Human characters (94%), anime-style hentai (72%), fantasy creatures like werewolves or elves (62%), and even real people (28%). You could choose their age, gender/sex, ethnicity, body type, sexual orientation, and every body part you can think of—down to the exact size of their nipples or the shape of their legs. You could even personalize positions (bending over, kneeling, lying down), behaviors (eating, kissing, masturbating), emotions (happy, angry, flirty), and arousal levels (like showing an orgasm).
Want tattoos? Tan lines? Oiled skin? You choose. Same with hair color, length, and texture. You can even adjust their makeup and facial expressions.
And the outfits are fully customizable. Some platforms let you pick a profession or cosplay theme: nurse, pirate, Lara Croft, etc. You can also control the setting—beach, bedroom, spaceship—and lighting, time of day, weather, number of characters, and camera angles. Yes, even POV shots and line of sight were customizable on some platforms.
As for AI chatbots, you can modify their personality, name, hobbies, memories, voice tone, language, and even their backstory. One platform lets you decide if they’re your friend with benefits, a significant other, or a sidepiece. Others could remember things about your past conversations, and some could share inner thoughts or backstories.
What does this all mean?
This is porn by you, for you. It is “materialized fantasy”.
As such, the researchers warn it can potentially promote compulsive use and loneliness, and it “may further reinforce expectations about bodies and sexualities.” Plus, not every person using the tech will use it for good.
The same platforms that allow you to build a sexy elf can also deepfake your coworker’s face onto a naked body. Right now, laws are barely keeping up. In many countries, it’s not even considered a sex crime, just a “minor privacy violation.” Further, as these deepfakes become more realistic and harder to detect, the problem worsens. Even advanced detectors can’t always tell what’s fake.
But there are positives.
According to the research lead, Valerie A. Lapointe, the results show that we’re going “beyond simple content selection.” These AI porn platforms are empowering “users to shape interactive erotic content that aligns with their desires and preferences across various mediums—including audio, images, videos, and virtual reality.” These users have the power to create materialized fantasy, instead of relying on what the porn industry offers.
And the authors see even more potential, citing a previous study: “AI may be used to improve sexual health and well-being.” It could provide personalized sex education, help with therapy, and even support folks with social anxiety, trauma, or physical limitations. In some cases, it may give safer alternatives to risky real-world interactions.
And for academia, it’s an absolute dream of customizable, controlled stimuli.
Shifting porn power
AI pornography is the biggest shift in the porn industry—it’s changing who makes porn and who decides what porn is.
“AI porn websites equip users with intuitive, low-effort tools to create and fine-tune content, often requiring nothing more than an account and/or a subscription.” (Valerie A. Lapointe, et al.)
No expensive equipment. No actors. Just prompts and pixels. While it’s empowering for everyday folks, it may also undercut traditional porn creators and sex workers. AI doesn’t need a law-enforced lunch break or a paycheck. That’s a problem for real people in the sex industry. It also means users are shaping the supply—their fantasies feed back into the porn industry machine, influencing what’s made next.
And with that comes a need for real discussion about consent, ethics, body image, and the human connection we may be losing. In other words, you might become more attached to your customized lover than your real-life partner (or crush).
Limitations and next steps
The study focused on what the site offered—features, tools, customization—based on what was freely available publicly. That means anything behind a paywall was left out. And anything in a non-English language was also skipped.
Also, platforms change fast—super fast. New tools become available, interfaces improve, and sites shut down. The authors captured a snapshot in early 2024, so they acknowledge that the current data may not reflect the most up-to-date state of each platform.
Additionally, the researchers didn’t ask users what they do with the tools. It was a website analysis, so no surveys or interviews were conducted. While we know what these platforms can do, we don’t fully understand how folks use them, why they use them, or how they feel about them afterward.
But the researchers aren’t stopping here.
“Globally, we aim to explore the ethical and beneficial applications of AI pornography while minimizing potential harm. For example, we are currently conducting a study on the ethical and legal landscape of AI pornography websites to better understand their risks and explore effective regulatory approaches.” (Valerie A. Lapointe)
Further, the authors say we need way more research (a whole lot more). They want future studies to examine how people engage with their materialized fantasies; not just clicks and prompts, but emotions, outcomes, and consequences. They suggest looking at:
- The impact on relationships;
- How it affects body image and sexual expectations;
- Whether AI porn helps or hurts sexual health;
- And who’s using it, how often, and why.
The research team also calls for more international work. Most of the current content is US-based or English-only. But we know it’s global, so what does it look like in Brazil, India, or France?
Lastly, we need guidelines around consent, copyrights, safety, identity, and justice. This isn’t just a tech issue; it’s a human one.
So, how do we start? More transparency, more accountability, and more science. Because AI porn is no longer an online niche space, it’s a revolution.
Title image generated using AI Characters from LiveJasmin.ai
