The adult industry is grappling with the expanding influence of artificial intelligence, prompting both calls for regulatory inclusion from content creators and the adoption of AI tools to manage increasing workloads.

Creators Seek Voice in AI Regulation

A coalition of adult industry professionals and advocates has formally addressed EU regulators, asserting that their perspectives are being overlooked in critical discussions concerning the regulation of AI technology. This group, which includes sex workers, erotic filmmakers, sex tech enterprises, and sex educators, issued an open letter to the European Commission on Thursday. The letter, seen by WIRED, urged their inclusion in future negotiations that will shape AI regulations in response to European internet regulations.

The Open Mind AI initiative, which signed the letter, includes Erika Lust’s company, an erotic filmmaker, and the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance campaign group. The initiative aims to highlight what it describes as a "critical gap" in current discussions on AI regulation. Those coordinating the campaign argue that the present discussion strategy risks excluding first-hand perspectives on adult content and could lead to overregulation of an already marginalized community.

Ana Ornelas, a Berlin-based erotic author and educator known by the pseudonym Pimenta Cítrica, is one of the leaders of the initiative. Ornelas stated that AI is evolving daily, with new developments appearing constantly, and that it is natural for people to use this new technology to fulfill their fantasies. However, Ornelas also identified deepfakes as a significant AI threat. She noted that 96 percent of deepfakes feature nonconsensual "porn," predominantly depicting women and girls. Ornelas described this as "extremely harmful" to those targeted, as well as to porn performers, calling it a threat to both their human integrity and their livelihood. She added that in the current landscape, adult content creators, sex workers, and educators are "getting the shorter end of the stick."

AI Tools for Content Creation and Management

In the contemporary creator-centric adult industry, performers are increasingly responsible for tasks beyond on-camera work, including scripting, editing, marketing, and ongoing fan interaction. These responsibilities were historically managed by studios. To address the growing workload and maintain subscriber engagement, many creators are utilizing AI tools.

Todd Cochrane, host of "Geek News Central," discussed the impact of AI tools in the adult content creation industry. He highlighted that creators are turning to both mainstream large language models, such as ChatGPT, and niche solutions, like GPTease, to assist with drafting scripts, automating responses, planning shoots, and even pricing custom content. While AI can enhance efficiency and revenue potential for creators, some remain cautious about the implications of over-automating client interactions and the broader effects on the industry.

Key Facts

  • A group of adult industry professionals and advocates sent an open letter to EU regulators on Thursday.
  • The letter urged the European Commission to include adult industry members in future negotiations on AI regulations.
  • The Open Mind AI initiative, including Erika Lust’s company and the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance, signed the letter.
  • Ana Ornelas, an erotic author and educator, is a leader of the initiative and highlighted deepfakes as a major AI threat.
  • 96 percent of deepfakes feature nonconsensual "porn," primarily of women and girls.
  • Adult content creators are using AI tools like ChatGPT and GPTease for tasks such as scripting, editing, marketing, and fan interaction.