AI-generated pornography opens new doors—and raises new questions

The rapid development of artificial intelligence is transforming the adult entertainment industry. A new study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior systematically examined websites that allow users to generate AI pornography, finding that most platforms now offer highly customizable, interactive sexual content. The researchers observed that AI is enabling consumers to create sexually explicit images, videos, and even virtual companions with unprecedented speed, accessibility, and personalization.

Generative artificial intelligence refers to systems that can produce new content such as images, text, audio, or video based on user input. The researchers were interested in exploring how these technologies are shaping pornography, a market that has historically evolved alongside technological innovations.

Previous shifts, such as the move from physical media to online platforms, have made pornography more personalized and accessible. However, the emergence of AI-generated pornography represents a further leap by giving users the ability to create sexual content tailored exactly to their preferences. Despite growing public and academic discussions about the implications of AI pornography, little empirical research has mapped the current landscape.

“In recent years, my colleagues and I have explored how emerging technologies can support sexual well-being,” said study author Valerie A. Lapointe, a PhD candidate at Université du Québec à Montréal. “As AI systems grew more sophisticated, we became increasingly curious about the new forms of sexual experiences they might enable. While most discussions at the time focused on deepfake pornography, we quickly realized that generative AI was unlocking a much wider range of possibilities that had yet to be empirically investigated.”

To investigate the current state of AI pornography, the researchers conducted a qualitative content analysis of 36 websites that allow users to generate or alter sexually explicit material using AI. The websites were identified through systematic online searches using English-language terms such as “AI porn” and “AI-generated pornography.” Only sites that permitted users to have some control over content generation were included. The team extracted textual information from each site, coded the data systematically, and categorized the available features. These categories included the platforms’ functionalities, production strategies, and customization options. Data analysis was independently conducted by multiple researchers to ensure reliability.

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The researchers found that the majority of AI porn websites allowed users to create static sexual images, with about 80% of platforms offering image generation features. Around 42% also supported video creation, while smaller proportions enabled users to generate animated GIFs, audio content, or interact with virtual reality environments. Beyond static and video content, approximately 44% of the websites offered interaction with artificial agents—chatbots or virtual partners designed for sexual engagement.

Production methods on these platforms usually involved either feature selection or prompting. About 97% of websites allowed users to manually select specific attributes for the characters they wanted to generate, such as gender, age, body features, clothing, or setting. Approximately 72% of platforms also supported text-based prompting, where users could describe the scene they wished to create. Some sites offered tools to refine prompts or provide suggestions, making it easier for users to guide the AI systems.

“I was surprised by how easy these platforms are to navigate and by the depth of customization and realism they offer,” Lapointe told PsyPost. “For instance, users can extensively design their ideal erotic companion (e.g., relationship type, interests, personality, memories, physical attributes) and engage with them in continuous lifelike interactions, such as through phone calls.”

Users could modify character bases to be human, fictional, or stylized (such as anime), and they could personalize nearly every aspect of appearance and setting. Common customizable features included body type, skin tone, hair color, eye shape, clothing, emotional expression, and the background context, such as lighting or weather. Some websites even allowed users to create customized virtual partners with distinct personalities, memories, writing styles, and relationship dynamics, enabling more continuous and interactive engagements.

Although most AI porn websites offered free access to basic functions, many also provided premium features that expanded the range of content users could create. A few platforms allowed alterations of real people’s images, including controversial functionalities like nudification or face-swapping, though only one site implemented a verification system requiring consent from individuals depicted. Social media-like features were common as well, with users often able to like, share, or comment on each other’s creations.

“AI-generated pornography platforms are reshaping the production and consumption of erotic content by allowing users to create and customize hyper-realistic, interactive and immersive images, videos, audio, and artificial erotic agents, all at low costs and with intuitive tools,” Lapointe said. “Together, these platforms provide the means to ‘materialize’ your fantasies in ways that increasingly approximate (inter)human interactions and erotic content.”

There are some caveats to consider. The sample was restricted to English-language websites and may not fully capture global variations in AI pornography. Additionally, the study only examined freely accessible features, meaning some more advanced capabilities available to paying users were not analyzed. The dynamic nature of AI technology also means that findings may quickly become outdated as new platforms and functionalities emerge.

“The main limitation relates to the speed at which this technology is evolving,” Lapointe explained. “The platforms we analyzed just a year ago may already look quite different today; they may be more numerous, more sophisticated, and offer more functionalities or customization options. Our findings provide a first overview, but the AI pornography landscape is changing faster than research can keep up with.”

The study’s findings highlight significant opportunities and risks. On the positive side, the technology offers possibilities for more inclusive sexual education, therapy for sexual dysfunctions, and research into sexual behavior. For example, AI-generated content could allow therapists to create individualized exposure stimuli for clients dealing with sexual anxieties, or enable researchers to generate standardized sexual stimuli for experimental studies.

At the same time, the ease with which AI pornography can be created raises serious ethical concerns. Content alteration tools could be misused to create non-consensual pornography, deepfakes, or other harmful material. Only a minority of the sites examined implemented measures to ensure the consensual use of personal likenesses. As the technology becomes more sophisticated and accessible, regulating its use, protecting individuals’ rights, and preventing abuse will likely become increasingly complex challenges.

“The speed of development and the control users have over their content raise many concerns, including the risks of facilitating the generation and dissemination of illegal or harmful content, youth access, and consent issues,” Lapointe said. “Yet, under proper regulation, these tools could open the door to many beneficial applications (e.g., for sexual education or therapy). Long-term, we aim to leverage this technology to support the development of ethical initiatives and build evidence-based frameworks that may help reduce harm and promote responsible use.”

The study, “The Present and Future of Adult Entertainment: A Content Analysis of AI‑Generated Pornography Websites,” was authored by Valerie A. Lapointe, Simon Dubé, Sophia Rukhlyadyev, Tinhinane Kessai, and David Lafortune.