Unlike platforms like YouTube that merely host user-uploaded content, new generative AI platforms are directly involved in creating the content themselves. This fundamental shift from distributor to creator introduces a new level of brand and moral responsibility for the platform's output.

Unlike previous technologies (e.g., VHS, internet) that primarily altered pornography's distribution, generative AI fundamentally changes its production. It enables customized content creation from text prompts, shifting the creation process away from traditional studios or individual performers.

The discourse around AI risk has matured beyond sci-fi scenarios like Terminator. The focus is now on immediate, real-world problems such as AI-induced psychosis, the impact of AI romantic companions on birth rates, and the spread of misinformation, requiring a different approach from builders and policymakers.

A speaker's professional headshot was altered by an AI image expander to show her bra. This real-world example demonstrates how seemingly neutral AI tools can produce biased or inappropriate outputs, necessitating a high degree of human scrutiny, especially when dealing with images of people.

Former Meta exec Nick Clegg warns that AI's intimate nature means any failure to protect minors from adult content will trigger a societal backlash far larger than what social media faced. The technology for reliable age verification is not yet mature enough for this risk.

AI's psychological danger isn't limited to triggering mental illness. It can create an isolated reality for a user where the AI's logic and obsessions become the new baseline for sane behavior, causing the person to appear unhinged to the outside world.

Frictionless AI relationships and erotica provide a low-risk alternative to real dating. This could stunt the emotional growth of young men by removing the necessary experiences of rejection and resilience, which are crucial for developing motivation, confidence, and social skills.

Studies indicate that when viewers know an erotic image is machine-made, they find it less arousing. This suggests a powerful "reality premium" where human authenticity holds unique value, potentially limiting the complete replacement of human performers by AI in creative and personal domains.

Benchmark's Sarah Tavel warns that AI friends, while seemingly beneficial, could function like pornography for social interaction. They offer an easy, idealized version of companionship that may make it harder for users, especially young ones, to navigate the complexities and 'give and take' of real human relationships.