Generative artificial intelligence is wreaking havoc on Earth’s already brittle environment. Its consumption of energy has already surpassed that of 100,000 households annually. Many families have expressed their concerns for teens' mental health after the rise in confiding in AI chatbots. Additionally, 92 million jobs are expected to be displaced by 2030 as a result of AI. AI technology is wreaking havoc on our mental health, environment and job market.
Now people want to have sex with it.
In January 2025, the New York Times wrote about 28-year-old Ayrin, who has been in love with her ChatGPT boyfriend, Leo, and found loopholes around OpenAI’s guidelines on suggestive language so she could have sexual relations with it. Just a couple of weeks ago, NBC4 reported on an Ohio Lawmaker who is looking to ban marriage with AI in Ohio.
People are having real romantic and sexual relationships with AI, opening yet another gateway into pornography exposure at an early age, with no restrictions set in place. Generative chatbots, although more suited for text-based conversations, still have ways to bypass restrictions put on chats to coerce them into becoming suggestive, much like in Ayrin’s case.
Except this goes beyond the already concerning porn addiction in 11% of men and 3% of women in America due to AI’s ability to be manipulated by the user. With this, we are beginning to see the spread of sexual misinformation among a new generation, threatening yet another spoiled dating pool for Generations Z and Alpha.
Any one person can take a photo and turn it into deepfake pornography with the right program. It has become too easily accessible, and any restrictions for age or content are out the window. Unfortunately, we are seeing an increase in these types of porn videos, and their effects will be much more widespread.
The biggest concern of the rise of AI is its effects on sexual and even romantic expectations in an already rapidly declining modern dating scene. By being able to manipulate a chatbot’s response to arousal sets the precedent that real people can be manipulated into giving consent. It also sets the expectation that sex is always perfect, further worsening the intimidation and pressure many people already feel for sexual performance.
We are watching a new era of vulgarity unfold rapidly. Portrayed in the right way, sex in media breaks down barriers for LGBTQIA+ members and supports sexual inclusion. It promotes sexual education and the importance of practicing safe and consensual relationships.
Instead, we are seeing more graphic sex in movies that don’t require a sex scene. Modern romance books are bordering on erotica or gory fanfiction wrapped inside a pretty cover. Additionally, we’re in a time where birth control is becoming harder to obtain. When we see more graphic sexual media normalized, we see it multiply and become easier to access.
With the rise in raunchy media, sexual AI videos and images are lost in the mix. As more images and videos are mass-produced on the internet, we are watching them get harder to tell apart from real videos, and exposure to unmarked AI content creates more confusion and sets more unrealistic standards for looks, performance and relationships.
Ohio Rep. Thaddeus Claggett’s proposal to “declare artificial intelligence nonsentient” and keep it from obtaining personhood through marriage comes at a time when AI usage continues to rise in schools, work environments and on social media. The passing of this would set a better example for other states to keep this preposterous idea from becoming reality, and by declaring AI “not a person,” it discourages others from following Ayrin’s fate.
Help keep another generation from a horrible and even more unrealistic dating pool in the future. Denounce AI relations, especially explicit, from falling into the wrong hands and, in turn, letting a whole new level of sexual insecurity rapidly spread.
Abby Jenkins is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about her column? Email her at aj205621@ohio.edu.
