# AI pornography that is otherwise illegal **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 5, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400 "2026-02-05T19:50:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/1 "2026-02-05T19:50:23Z")
What is the status, and what _should be_ the status, of pornography that uses AI that doesn’t resemble any actual people, places etc.? AI that is completely written, drawn, animated or said without human guidance. Is it still prosecutable…and who charged exactly and for what? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/2 "2026-02-05T21:10:44Z")
Some number of years ago, the SCOTUS ruled that “virtual” CSAM, specifically that in the movies _Traffic_ and _Lolita_ but, also more broadly, whether drawn or CGI or produced via some other means, is constitutionally protected free speech. I can’t seem to link on my phone but it’s Ashcroft v Free Speech Coalition. Now, is _Ashcroft_ broad enough to cover CSAM produced by AI, which wasn’t a thing at the time of the ruling? I say yes, but there are nine people in Washington with far more knowledge of the law than I have, who may yet be compelled to make a another decision. Will _Ashcroft_ survive a challenge from this court? I don’t know. Will a guy caught with thousands of AI produced CSAM image and videos on his hard drive walk free? For now, it looks like the answer is yes. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/3 "2026-02-05T21:50:53Z")
Why should it be illegal? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/4 "2026-02-05T21:57:37Z")
AI porn involving AI children, AI animals or AI torture/death comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/5 "2026-02-05T21:59:52Z")
INAperson who knows much about constitutional law. As an artist and if I was doing AI as an art form(of some sort), I might be perturbed if my _“creation”_ was deemed illegal. As an artist. Now, whether it’s art or not is another debate. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/6 "2026-02-05T21:59:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > AI porn involving AI children, AI animals or AI torture/death comes to mind. Right, but your OP didn’t specify that. Those should be illegal, of course. But other subjects? I mean, it’s just another form of animation. If hentai is legal, then so is AI porn. In my opinion, by any objective measure, animated porn is the _least_ exploitive form of pornography, because it doesn’t involve actual people who may have been forced to take off their clothing and do unspeakable acts for money. As far as I’m concerned, the entire pornography industry can and should be replaced by AI. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/7 "2026-02-05T22:01:17Z")
There was already a law way back in 2003 (the PROTECT ACT) that made this illegal. It states that child porn is illegal even if made with computer alone and no actual humans were involved. > **[PROTECT Act of 2003](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PROTECT_Act_of_2003)** > > The PROTECT Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108–21 (text) (PDF), 117 Stat. 650, S. 151, enacted April 30, 2003) is a United States law with the stated intent of preventing child abuse as well as investigating and prosecuting violent crimes against children. "PROTECT" is a backronym which stands for "Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today". > The PROTECT Act incorporates the Truth in Domain Names Act (TDNA) of 2003 (originally two separate bills, submitted by Senat... ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/8 "2026-02-05T22:01:28Z")
In the United States, there something called the Miller test. > **[Miller test](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_test)** > > The Miller test, also called the three-prong obscenity test, is the United States Supreme Court's test for determining whether speech or expression can be labeled obscene, in which case it is not protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and can be prohibited. > The Miller test was developed in the 1973 case Miller v. California. It has three parts: > The work is considered obscene only if all three conditions are satisfied.\[citation needed\] > The first two prongs of the Mil... That was derived from the 1973 court case [Miller v. California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_v._California). And in that case, SCOTUS determined that “obscenity”, which is not protected by the First Amendment, can be categorized if it satisfies these three criteria: > 1. whether the average person, applying contemporary [community standards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_standards), would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the [prurient](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prurient) interest; > 2. whether the work depicts or describes, in an offensive way, sexual conduct or excretory functions, as specifically defined by applicable state law; and > 3. whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious [literary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature), [artistic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art), [political](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics), or [scientific](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science) value. I would expect that AI-generated CSAM, even when it portrays images of fictional children, satisfies those criteria and so could be regulated without falling under First Amendment protection. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/9 "2026-02-05T22:03:14Z")
I can’t remember her name, but there was a photographer who got in much trouble photographing her children nude, while swimming. She published those photographs in a big book of all her photography. I believe it was a court case. I’ll look see can I find the name of this woman. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/10 "2026-02-05T22:04:22Z")
But the topic is AI porn that doesn’t involve humans. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/11 "2026-02-05T22:05:26Z")
Well, photography laws, if there are any might apply to AI art. Just a thought. Carry on. I’ll back out. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/12 "2026-02-05T22:05:51Z")
But what is “community” in this time of the international internet? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/13 "2026-02-05T22:07:03Z")
Even photography involves real people, though. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/14 "2026-02-05T22:07:11Z")
You mean, like, elves? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/15 "2026-02-05T22:09:11Z")
Simple, the “community” consists of the citizens of whatever jurisdiction is creating a statue to criminalize this. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/16 "2026-02-05T22:11:23Z")
Interesting question. If an AI depiction of an otherwise human child adds pointed ears, does the claim that this “Elven” person is actually 80 years old and thus legally an adult hold up? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/17 "2026-02-05T22:12:43Z")
Which just mean that the depiction cannot be viewed in that community, right? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/18 "2026-02-05T22:12:59Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Interesting question. If an AI depiction of an otherwise human child adds pointed ears, does the claim that this “Elven” person is actually 80 years old and thus legally an adult hold up? The Japanese have been arguing that for years. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/19 "2026-02-05T22:15:08Z")
And now we have to factor in the ability to create AI that might be indistinguishable from real life, and not just anime. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400/20 "2026-02-05T22:16:15Z")
@Czarcasm I retrospect, I think I read the OP of your thread without reading its title. You weren’t asking whether AI porn in general should be illegal - you were asking whether AI porn _with illegal subjects_ should be legal. That’s a different question. (Re-read your OP - you have to admit it’s not very clear). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ai-pornography-that-is-otherwise-illegal/1027400.md?page=2)