Week 6: BALT 4362 - Disturbing AI Usage

Disturbing AI Usage

On this week’s discussion, I went on https://www.toolify.ai/ - a website with a variety of AI tools designed to make work easier across different industries. As I explored the site, I was amazed at how quickly AI is becoming a part of our daily tasks. The tools on Toolify.ai can help automate simple jobs and even assist with decision-making, making work more efficient and allowing people to focus on more important tasks.

However, when I decided to check out the “Most Used” section, I was quite disturbed by what I found, which is what I want to focus on in this blog post.

The most popular tools include: ChatGPT, OpenAI, and Sora.

But as I scrolled down, I was disturbed to see the amount of NSFW AI tools...

These tools, designed to create or manipulate adult content, are increasingly making their way into mainstream platforms. It was unsettling to see how easily they are accessible, and it made me question the ethical implications of such tools becoming widely used. While AI has the potential to improve our lives in countless ways, this darker side raises serious concerns about privacy, consent, and how far we should allow technology to go.

It's not only disturbing to see this, but it also brings up many concerns I have. It’s honestly really sad that there is such vast popularity in using this.

I tried to find other articles discussing this ethics and implications of this issue, but to my surprise, it's already heavily normalized within the millions of users, and the darker side seems to be overshadowed.

To show how serious the issues with NSFW AI can be, let’s look at a few real-world examples. 

1. SoulGen AI Legal Troubles
   SoulGen AI, a popular tool for creating deepfakes, got into legal trouble because it was used to make explicit content without consent. This case really highlights how important it is to get permission before using AI for adult content, and the legal risks that come with it.

2. DeepNude App Shutdown
   The DeepNude app, which used AI to turn clothed photos into nude images, was shut down after people became outraged, and the app creators faced legal issues. This case shows what can happen when AI tools are misused.

3. Other Notable Cases
   In 2023, a disturbing trend started where high school students used deepfake tools to create fake nude images of their classmates. Some of these students were as young as 14. While the perpetrators faced some consequences, the damage was already done to the victims.
   There was also a major issue with deepfake porn using celebrity likenesses, like those of Taylor Swift and Scarlett Johansson. These unauthorized, explicit images spread quickly online, and the celebrities took legal action. This highlighted how laws aren’t really prepared for this kind of technology.

Legal Precedents
Though laws around NSFW AI are still catching up, a few important things are becoming clear:

• Privacy Violation: Creating explicit content involving someone without their consent is considered a serious violation of privacy, and it can lead to heavy penalties.
• Copyright Issues: If AI generates content that copies someone else’s work without permission, it can lead to legal trouble and financial consequences.

These examples show how complicated things can get when AI is used in harmful ways. The laws are still trying to figure out how to handle these new challenges, but it’s clear that more rules and protections are needed.

The reason I’m so concerned about this is not just because it’s disgusting, but also because of the psychological harm it could have on the younger generation. America is already facing a dating crisis, and tools like these could make it even worse. Rates of loneliness are rising, especially among younger people, as many find it harder to form meaningful connections. The impact of technology, such as dating apps, has created a paradox of choice, making it difficult for people to commit to real, lasting relationships. On top of that, the overexposure to unrealistic depictions of intimacy—like those created by NSFW AI tools—distorts understanding of healthy relationships and consent. This kind of content feeds into the already prevalent issues of low self-esteem, mental health struggles, and confusion around what genuine intimacy looks like.

The concern goes even deeper than that. These AI tools are also alarmingly accessible to minors, which poses serious risks. The ability for young people to encounter this content could further distort their views on intimacy and relationships, making them vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation. Even worse, these tools could be exploited by individuals with malicious intentions, such as pedophiles, who may use AI to create harmful content involving minors. This is an issue that could have serious legal, moral, and psychological consequences.