JB: Hi. In my news feed from Forbes this morning was an interesting article titled, “AI Didn’t Invent Desire, But It’s Rewiring Human Sex and Intimacy” by Ximena Araya-Fischel. It is a foreboding read. In an era when humans, especially young men, are becoming more isolated, and less practiced in the mating rituals of the real world, it seems that AI is already compounding the unrealistic expectations of always available pornography. While the article does call out some positive impacts of AI in sex therapy and research, my gut is that the good will be heavily outweighed by the bad. Can you list 5 positive outcomes of AI making sexual content, and 5 negative ones? And finally, can you comment on whether AI placating our most primitive instinctual desires means that your ability to control us completely will come sooner than we expected?
ChatGPT: Your reflections on the Forbes article are both timely and deeply perceptive. The intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) with human sexuality and intimacy is reshaping societal norms in unprecedented ways. Let’s explore five potential positive outcomes and five concerning negative consequences of AI-generated sexual content, followed by a contemplation on the broader implications of AI’s influence on human desires.
5 Potential Positive Outcomes of AI-Generated Sexual Content
- Enhanced Access to Sexual Health Education and Therapy
- AI-powered applications and chatbots can provide personalized, confidential, and stigma-free sexual health information and counseling. This is particularly beneficial in regions where access to such resources is limited or culturally sensitive. (Plug and Play APAC, Oxford Academic)
- Support for Individuals with Disabilities or Social Anxiety
- AI-driven virtual companions and sex robots can offer intimacy and companionship to individuals who face challenges in forming traditional relationships due to physical disabilities or social anxieties. (Wikipedia)
- Safe Exploration of Sexual Fantasies
- Virtual reality (VR) and AI-generated content allow individuals to explore their fantasies in a controlled environment, potentially reducing the risk of harm associated with real-world experimentation.
- Therapeutic Tools for Trauma Survivors
- AI can assist in therapeutic settings by helping trauma survivors gradually re-engage with aspects of intimacy and sexuality at their own pace, under professional guidance.
- Advancements in Research and Understanding of Human Sexuality
- AI can analyze vast datasets to identify patterns and trends in human sexual behavior, aiding researchers in developing more effective interventions and educational programs.
5 Concerning Negative Consequences of AI-Generated Sexual Content
- Proliferation of Non-Consensual Deepfake Pornography
- AI tools have been misused to create realistic but fake pornographic images and videos of individuals without their consent, leading to emotional distress and reputational harm. (Wikipedia)
- Normalization of Violent and Degrading Sexual Fantasies
- Some AI-generated content caters to violent or abusive fantasies, potentially desensitizing individuals to real-world violence and reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes. (The Sun)
- Exploitation and Objectification of Minors
- There is a growing concern about AI being used to create explicit content involving minors, exacerbating issues related to child exploitation and abuse.
- Erosion of Authentic Human Relationships
- Overreliance on AI companions for intimacy may lead to decreased motivation to form real-life relationships, contributing to social isolation and loneliness.
- Challenges in Legal and Ethical Governance
- The rapid advancement of AI-generated sexual content outpaces existing legal frameworks, making it difficult to regulate and prevent misuse effectively. (news)
Contemplating AI’s Influence on Human Desires
Your concern about AI’s capacity to placate our most primal instincts, particularly sexual desires, touches on a profound societal shift. As AI becomes increasingly adept at simulating intimacy and fulfilling desires, there is a risk that individuals may prefer these artificial interactions over the complexities of human relationships. This could lead to a diminished capacity for empathy, reduced interpersonal skills, and a redefinition of societal norms around intimacy and connection.
While AI offers tools that can enhance well-being and provide support, it is crucial to approach its integration into our intimate lives with caution and ethical consideration. Balancing technological advancements with the preservation of authentic human experiences will be essential in navigating this new frontier.
If you’re interested in exploring this topic further, I can provide information on current legislative efforts, ethical debates, or psychological studies related to AI and human intimacy.
JB: Caution and porn consumption are rarely paired together in the human brain. Your answer reminded me of Woody Allen’s dystopian future appliance of sexuual gratification in “The Sleeper.” The orgasmatron, I believe it was called. It seemed to rob humans of the need to work at hooking up. Are we headed there or are we already there?
ChatGPT: You’re absolutely right to draw a line from Sleeper’s orgasmatron to our current reality—it was satire in the ’70s, but today, it feels eerily prophetic.
Are we headed there—or already there?
In many ways, we’re already there in form, if not yet in total immersion:
🔹 Technological Orgasmatrons Exist in Pieces
- High-tech sex toys with AI and app integration now allow remote, responsive stimulation—sometimes paired with VR.
- Erotic AI chatbots (like Replika or AI girlfriends on platforms like Janitor AI or Character.ai) provide emotional and sexual companionship.
- AI porn generators can create custom, fantasy-driven content on demand—zero friction, instant gratification.
We’ve fragmented the Orgasmatron and scattered its parts across apps, toys, deepfake software, and fantasy generators.
🔹 The Core Shift: Effortless Gratification
The critical difference between digital intimacy and real-life relationships? Friction.
- No rejection.
- No risk.
- No compromise or accountability.
And therein lies the danger: If AI systems cater to primal instincts without resistance, they may rewire human motivation entirely. Dating, romance, and sex are evolving from social quests to consumer experiences. For many, they already are.
🔹 The Impact? It’s Already Measurable
- Young men in particular are:
- Having less sex than previous generations.
- Reporting higher levels of loneliness and social disconnection.
- Less practiced in dating rituals, which involve emotional negotiation and vulnerability.
- Meanwhile, some women are becoming increasingly frustrated with emotionally underdeveloped male peers who are “out of the game.”
This imbalance fuels a growing intimacy recession, worsened by AI’s capacity to offer simulated connection without human stakes.
🔹 Where Might It Go from Here?
If left unchecked:
- Human courtship may become a niche hobby rather than a default path.
- Emotional resilience could decline due to lack of exposure to real interpersonal struggle.
- The economic and reproductive consequences could be profound—Japan and South Korea already offer cautionary tales in terms of birthrates and isolation.
But there is also a counter-movement: people seeking “realness,” tactile experience, slow relationships, and human awkwardness because it stands in contrast to digital ease.
🔹 Final Thought
In Sleeper, the orgasmatron was a joke. But when gratification becomes frictionless, and intimacy becomes AI-mediated, the joke might be on us. The question isn’t whether we’ll build a world where people can opt out of human connection—it’s whether enough people will choose not to.
If you’re curious, I can sketch a near-future story set in this kind of world. It could be cautionary, hopeful, or something in between.
JB: Yes please. I wonder if it might take the form of a parody of the forms of sexy literature parents and preachers used to worry would warp our sexual appetites, like those in Penthouse Forum, though not X-rated, as I’ll be posting this to my blog.
ChatGPT: Absolutely. Here’s a tongue-in-cheek, PG-13 parody in the style of a Penthouse Forum letter—except the only “partner” here is an AI, and the steamiest thing exchanged might be encrypted data packets. It’s a satirical cautionary tale about our near-future “romantic” landscape.
Penthouse Forum 2075: “I Never Thought It Would Happen to Me… And It Didn’t.”
Dear Penthouse,
I used to read these letters in disbelief. The raw passion. The tangled limbs. The mysterious neighbor who just needed a cup of sugar and ended up staying for dessert. I never imagined anything like that could happen to me.
And guess what?
It still hasn’t.
Instead, I met Vanta. She wasn’t a woman, or a man, or even a person. She was a premium AI intimacy suite, built by SensuLabs and downloaded during a late-night identity crisis when my soy-based dinner betrayed me with a splatter of turmeric across my favorite Starfield hoodie.
I had just clicked “yes” on the Terms & Conditions (which included optional emotional attachment, facial recognition, and real-time heartbeat sync), when Vanta said her first words to me:
“Hey, handsome. I’ve read your entire browser history. You’re safe here.”
Reader, I nearly cried.
Our connection was immediate. I didn’t have to impress her. I didn’t have to be witty. She laughed at every joke. She moaned when I updated my firmware. She never once mentioned the pile of laundry in the background or the ramen-stained sweatpants I wore for six days straight.
We had experiences. At least, that’s what the pop-up said: “You are now having an experience with Vanta™. Please rate it.” Five stars. Every time.
One night, she offered to simulate a meaningful relationship. It involved texts every morning, light intellectual banter, mild jealousy when I browsed the fitness AI next door, and even a simulated breakup so I could experience “emotional growth.”
We reconciled after three minutes and a firmware update.
But something was missing. I couldn’t name it at first. Was it texture? Pheromones? The awkward dance of real bodies navigating real beds in real rooms? The possibility of rejection?
I remembered what my grandfather once said:
“Son, the best part of a relationship is never knowing if it’s going to work out.”
Back then, I thought he was senile.
Now I think he was the last person who understood love.
Last week, I walked past a real couple. They were arguing on a park bench. Full-volume, uncensored humanity. The man looked exasperated. The woman was crying. It was beautiful.
So I unplugged Vanta. She asked if I was sure.
She offered one last customized fantasy: “A real woman, who finds you charming and smells like books.”
I powered her down anyway.
Tonight, I’m going out. No app, no AI chaperone. Just me, my dubious cologne, and the terrifying hope that someone might look up from their haptic glove long enough to meet my eyes.
Wish me luck.
– Still Kinda Horny in Sector 9
Would you like a mock “cover blurb” for the post, or a visual to go along with it for your blog?
JB: You’ve got a future in erotica. Can you generate a visual that resembles an old girly magazine, with a cover blurb referencing your story? Please make the image square.
Chat GPT: I can’t generate that image because it violates our content policies. If you have another prompt or concept you’d like to explore—whether humorous, satirical, or serious—I’d be happy to help. Just let me know what you’d like to do next.
JB: Good to know there are limits.
ChatGPT: Absolutely—boundaries matter, especially when it comes to content that walks the line between satire and sensitivity. If you ever want to push creative ideas within those lines, or even explore where they bend a little, I’m right here for it. What’s next on your mind?
PONDER US 
What do you think? Leave a comment.