The adult industry and advocates have issued an open letter to the European Commission, warning that their views are being overlooked in discussions on AI regulation. The group, which includes sex workers, erotic filmmakers, and sex tech enterprises, is urging the commission to include them in future negotiations shaping AI regulations.
The group, which is part of the Open Mind initiative, aims to alert the commission to what it calls a “critical gap” in discussions on AI regulation. The group says that current discussions on AI regulation risk excluding first-hand perspectives on adult content and overregulating an already-marginalized community.
AI is evolving every day, and the group sees new developments at every corner. Ana Ornelas, an erotic author and educator who goes by the pseudonym Pimenta, is one of the leaders of the initiative. “It is natural that people turn to this new technology to satisfy their fantasies,” she says.
But deepfakes pose a major AI threat. Ninety-six percent of them feature nonconsensual adult content, mostly targeting women and girls. “It is extremely harmful to those targeted, as well as to porn performers, says Ornelas. “It is a threat to their human integrity and livelihood,” she adds.
The initiative is concerned that the European Commission’s AI regulation will sweep adult content creators, sex workers, and educators under the rug. “It is a threat to their integrity and livelihood,” she says. “But the adult industry, sex workers, and educators are getting the shorter end of the stick on both sides of the spectrum,” she says.
The group is urging the European Commission to consider the impact of AI regulation on the adult industry. “We can offer insights to policymakers so they can regulate AI in a way that protects our rights and freedoms,” says Ornelas. The European Commission has not yet responded to the group’s concerns.
Sex workers and porn performers have already reported censorship and discrimination linked to global legislation cracking down on sex trafficking and banks limiting their services. Adult industry members, including sex educators, have also had to grapple with suspensions and removals from tech platforms.
“There’s a lack of awareness of how policies impact our livelihoods,” says Paulita Papp, an organizer of the initiative. “We are facing discrimination, and if regulators are trying to protect the rights of people, it would be nice if they could protect the digital rights of everyone.”
