The Week In Sex Tech – AI Girlfriends Will Be Popular And Are Already On ChatGPT Store, Fears That Deepfake Porn Generation Easier Than Ever Before.

Marianne Brandon On Why AI Girlfriends Will Be Popular

Psychologist and sex tech blogger Marianne Brandon argued that AI girlfriends will be more popular than you think. After briefly pointing out that AI GFs do not need to be better than the real thing to be compelling, she then lists a handful of ways in which they are better than the real thing. For example, they do not spread STDs, and they are simply a lot less hassle all-round. In summary, AI girlfriends may not be able to compete with the real physical and psychological satisfaction of real intimacy (although increasingly sophisticated haptic sex toys might get it close), they do have a number of advantages that make them attractive as a ‘cheaper’ alternative. Even though we prefer a juicy ribeye steak to a McDonalds, the latter still does a roaring trade, as she points out.

As if to confirm her argument, it was reported recently that the new and official ChatGPT store is already awash with NSFW romantic chatbots, despite it being expressly against their rules.

Notably, the company is aiming to get ahead of potential conflicts with its OpenAI store. Relationship chatbots are, indeed, popular apps. In the US, seven of the 30 AI chatbot apps downloaded in 2023 from the Apple or Google Play store were related to AI friends, girlfriends, or companions, according to data shared with Quartz from data.ai, a mobile app analytics firm.

The proliferation of these apps comes as the US faces an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Alarming studies show that one-in-two American adults have reported experiencing loneliness, with the US Surgeon General calling for the need to strengthen social connections. AI chatbots could be part of the solution if people are isolated from other human beings—or they could just be a way to cash in on human suffering.

The company says it uses a combination of automated systems, human review, and user reports to find and assess GPTs that potentially violate its policies, which can lead to actions such as “warning, sharing restrictions, or ineligibility for inclusion in GPT store or monetization.”

Deepfake Porn Generation Could Become Instant After New Method Devised

Just as the public reaction against deepfake porn reaches hysterical levels, there are fears that the flood of such material could become a tsunami after a new method of instantly creating a series of adult images from a single photo was devised and uploaded to GitHub. The following brief YouTube video demonstrates the new method – called InstantID – in action. While it will likely increase the spread of deepfake porn, it should also make it easier for more bonafide uses such as AI GF selfies.

In the same week, deepfaked x-rated pictures of the popular American singer Taylor Swift went viral on X (Twitter), provoking the most intense calls for new legislation yet seen. Outrage was expressed that there is still no federal crime for non-consensual deepfake porn sharing, although that will likely change soon. Meanwhile, those who share such material in Thailand can now look forward to spending up to five years in a rat infested prison.