NSFW (Not Safe For Work) AI has become a controversial topic, with vociferous criticism and concern from individuals and organizations regarding its possible consequences on privacy, ethics, and even social norms. The biggest concern is abuse, and critics claim artificially generating pornographic illustrations may cause exploitation and sharing of damaging content. As another example, a report by Digital Civil Rights Organization found that the boom in AI-generated porn content coincided with an increase of 20% regarding online harassment cases all over the world and you can check all these middleman links to see how dangerous this thing has been for women. Such a statistic highlights the increasing anxieties around how such technology could be misused, especially to create non-consensual pornographic images.
The other major issue is that it can amplify biases and make stereotypes more accepted. According to a 2021 study led by researchers at the University of California, adult content in online data resources could propagate unrealistic, and often harmful, social standards around beauty, sexuality and interpersonal relationships when algorithms train using that data. Because these AI systems tend to reproduce the very gender stereotypes and racial bias baked into their training data. One such criticism of NSFW AI content is that it nearly always depicts women in subservient positions, thereby furthering negative notions about gender equality.
Also the ethical question of consent is relevant in this discussion. Opponents have claimed that consent is called into question if AI-generated pornography does not necessitate real-life human activity. The Ethics in AI Foundation report stated that someone could create explicit material using an AI-generated likeness of a celebrity without their consent or knowledge, which poses a vital privacy issue. Privacy advocate Marla Jones said: “Letting AI generate pornography would open the door for a risky slippery slope in terms of removing personal choice.
Another bone of contention is the economic impact of NSFW AI. Hire PerformersIn an industry long dependent on human performers, the rise of AI-generated content could be a seismic shift in sex work losing jobs to machines. Some estimates show AI-generated adult content can be worth over $2 billion by 2025, endangering the livelihoods of workers in this industry which we see is happening rapidly. In a 2023 Forbes interview, industry guru Mark Stevens said: “The world of business will absolutely be affected by AI but we need to weigh the ethics with it.”
Others caution that, realistically, NSFW AI will be weaponized or used to harm individuals due to insufficient regulation and oversight: a breach of privacy laws leading to exploitation; the demise of sex-positive movements but an ever-expanding proliferation of misogyny and other harmful societal norms. The issues NSFW AI raises are nuanced, and as the technology progresses it must be watched over and well regulated so that what it can do does not undermine societal values.
To learn more about some of the debates around AI and its uses — including NSFW AI, which remains a very debated topic — head to nsfw ai.