# So what will our AI civilization of the future look like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Tags:** ai\ **Created:** [September 10, 2026, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973 "2026-09-10T20:09:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/101 "2026-10-02T16:28:19Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > the constant need for re-assurance and likes is made worse by AI. That is a real possibility and a real concern, phrased accurately: AI isn’t causing it but it may amplify a problem that already exists. AI as artificial friend (and ignore as artificial romantic partner for now) does not help emerging adults build the skills to tolerate the more prickly world of other real people. The flip side is that there are people for whom an AI friend serves for connection that is otherwise very sparse. Or for specific sorts of connection that might otherwise be sparse. An obvious case for that is an elder who has outlived many friends and family and who an intelligent agent can be a source of conversation throughout a day. And I can easily imagine specific agents trained to help provide social skills training for kids with autism, as a supplement to small group programs with real people. Speaking for myself this place is not too dissimilar? I have real world relationships, a wife, kids I communicate with, work relationships, even a few friends 🙂 … and some of the subjects I enjoy having conversations about are not of particular interest to many of them but are to some here, some are of interest to them but, yeah, a real world conversation akin to a debate in a thread here is not enjoyable for many in the real world too often. This place has generally been fun because it provides people who know at least as much as I do, and often more, about a variety of subjects, and who are interested in discussing similar things. Claude is that too? Yes I have to “cite please” Claude too, but the citation usually does support the claim. I have here and prefer it, but if it disappeared tomorrow I would be discussing what my wife, kids, friends, and coworkers are not as interested in with Claude not Reddit. So I get using faux relationships. And I worry about the negative impact as well. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/102 "2026-10-02T16:38:14Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Makes the movie “Her” seem like a dramatized documentary. I really liked that movie, but I don’t think it was really about AI at all. I think it was about navigating change in relationships and learning how to move on from the ones that don’t work out. Which seems like the opposite of what current LLMs can deliver. It’s going to be the same stuff day after day. I just don’t understand it. I’ve tried to use Claude for a range of purposes, and a lot of times when I try to talk to it, it just gets boring. I’m not sure how people can stay interested in a “relationship” with a chat bot when they are so repetitive and dull. I can conceive of them being more interesting in the future, though. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/103 "2026-10-02T17:23:47Z")
I’m sure you’re right. I remember trying to watch it years ago but probably never got through it. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/104 "2026-10-02T17:35:29Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Speaking for myself this place is not too dissimilar? True. As you say, this is a place to interact anonymously about esoteric stuff that people in our lives don’t necessarily want to discuss in any great detail, or at all. It’s also a place for animated argument without the risk of alienating people we care about, and need to drive us to the auto-mechanic to pick up our car from service. The main difference is that while we can’t be absolutely be sure the people posting on this message board aren’t dog and cats, we can at least be reasonably certain they’re not AI. Jury is out on some of the mods. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/105 "2026-10-02T17:38:51Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I just don’t understand it. I’ve tried to use Claude for a range of purposes, and a lot of times when I try to talk to it, it just gets boring. I’m not sure how people can stay interested in a “relationship” with a chat bot when they are so repetitive and dull. I can conceive of them being more interesting in the future, though. People attributed human-like characteristics to, and enjoyed chatting intimately with, ELIZA in the 1960s already. Not because these programs are particularly scintillating conversationalists, obviously, but because they let _you_ talk about whatever you want, in confidence, and they will affirm and facilitate your monologue. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/106 "2026-10-02T19:12:46Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I really liked that movie, but I don’t think it was really about AI at all. I think it was about navigating change in relationships and learning how to move on from the ones that don’t work out. Which seems like the opposite of what current LLMs can deliver. It’s going to be the same stuff day after day. > > I just don’t understand it. I’ve tried to use Claude for a range of purposes, and a lot of times when I try to talk to it, it just gets boring. I’m not sure how people can stay interested in a “relationship” with a chat bot when they are so repetitive and dull. I can conceive of them being more interesting in the future, though. I agree that it is not about AI. I thought it was about the ease of fleeing from real relationships to fantasy ones that provide more reliable positive feedback. I’ve never tried to have a conversation with an LLM, but I have a perfectly good wife to talk to. Her side of the conversation comes from her and it is not meant to just make me feel good, which is a plus for me. But I can see an insecure person preferring to chat with something with the goal of making them feel good. To be crass, it seems to me very much like the difference between porn and real sex. > [@msmith537](#): > > It’s the difference between going to a party and maybe competing with a dozen other guys for a woman’s attention based on a combination of appearance, personality, and general vibe and accepting the natural tradeoffs vs going online as an abstracted digital avatar and competing against the entire world based on am analyzable collection of metrics and KPIs. I think this is similar to the finding (which I know is somewhat in dispute) that too many choices lead to fewer sales. Do people who use apps not try to connect with potential partners because a better one might be coming up? At a party your choice is limited, and the most attractive potential partner (to you) might not be the most attractive in a pool five times as big. Plus, thousands of choices don’t give you time to focus in on the non-obvious assets of most of them. I asked my wife out the first time to protect her from having to go to a performance her friend was playing out, not because I was all that interested. I only got interested after having time alone with her. Neither of us would probably have thought twice about the other if seen on an app. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/107 "2026-10-02T19:23:46Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I agree that it is not about AI. I thought it was about the ease of fleeing from real relationships to fantasy ones that provide more reliable positive feedback. I agree with your take as well. It’s actually a pretty cool movie. I put off seeing it forever but it raises a lot of interesting ideas. > [@Voyager](#): > > To be crass, it seems to me very much like the difference between porn and real sex. I think that’s pretty apt, I just don’t think LLMs of today are even as good as porn. Like, I don’t think it can substitute real life relationships as effectively as this message board can, for instance. If it was that great I’d be talking to it instead of you guys. But talking to an LLM bores me to tears. That doesn’t mean talking to it can’t be useful - it recently helped me sort my feelings about something - but after I had my big moment when I went back to it with an update, I had this feeling like, “aw, you’re just a dumb machine.” ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/108 "2026-10-03T08:14:22Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > another theory I’ve heard is that the fear of potentially being recorded doing something “cringe” is preventing a lot of in person interaction. Now that’s an angle I hadn’t considered, and as someone who has anxiety about embarassing myself trying to ask women out (and has had a couple of really weird rejections in front of audiences), I now have a new thing to stress over. So that is a legitimate take. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/109 "2026-10-03T09:18:08Z")
To be honest, I don’t know if I buy that theory I mentioned. I think people are so used to trying to put every aspect of their lives online to gain “likes” and there’s so much crap out there, the likelihood of some random encounter turning your into the next “Fat Star Wars Kid” meme is very small. But for whatever reason I do think young people these days lack a certain arrogance or swagger of prior generations. Like I couldn’t point to a stereotypical “edgy rebellious youth subculture” from the past decade or so. I’m not aware of any modern equivalent to the 50s Greaser, 60s Hippy, 70s and 80s Stone, Punk, Metalheads, 90s Gen-X Slackers, and whatever you called people in the 2000s who listened to bands like Korn. If I were to characterize my impression of today’s youth, it’s a young person watching another young “influencer” online for tips on how to best conform to and be liked by society. I think the unforeseen consequence is a very confirmative society that is adverse to putting themselves out there to take social risks. Not because they are worried about being captured on film but because they need to be constantly guided on what to do. Asking another person out is inherently awkward for most people. And I believe if you don’t spend time learning how to get past awkward social situations, it’s inherently limiting. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/110 "2026-10-03T17:59:46Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I think that’s pretty apt, I just don’t think LLMs of today are even as good as porn. Like, I don’t think it can substitute real life relationships as effectively as this message board can, for instance. In the Dope real people talk to real people, so I agree it is much better. What scares me is that AI-generated porn will someday be as good visually as filmed porn, but customized to the consumer of it. Maybe you can find porn for all kinds of sheep, but if you prefer wombats you’re out of luck. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/111 "2026-10-03T18:32:35Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > AI-generated porn will someday be as good visually as filmed porn Humans still place a premium on … authenticity. > **[Real or AI? Perceived inauthenticity reduces sexual arousal, new research finds](https://www.psypost.org/real-or-ai-perceived-inauthenticity-reduces-arousal-new-research-finds/)** > > New research has found that people find images of individuals more arousing when they believe the images are real rather than artificially generated. Not just pornography. Art. If blind to human or AI created the art product created by AI often scored as “better” but if told a particular work is AI created its value is discounted. > **[Beyond the Machine: Why Human-Made Art Matters More in the Age of AI |...](https://business.columbia.edu/research-brief/digital-future/human-ai-art)** > > New Columbia Business School research shows that AI-generated art doesn’t always diminish human creativity. When people see human-made art next to AI art, they value it more — by up to 62 percent. Empathic support. [https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-025-00387-3](https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-025-00387-3) > Across diverse samples and stimuli, we found evidence for what we term the AI empathy choice paradox: participants significantly preferred to receive empathy from humans, yet they rated AI-generated empathetic responses as higher in quality, more effective at making them feel heard Which should not surprise. We pay a premium to hear music live and would be upset if an artist used prerecorded tracks instead of production in the moment, even though the prerecorded is assured of being what consider is the best take. We value what we consider most real, including its imperfections. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/112 "2026-10-03T23:51:54Z")
I wasn’t talking about reactions to it, I was talking about filmic quality. In movies these days we see CGI that we know is made up but which is an integral part of the movie, and really no worse than in-camera effects. Sure you don’t want to hear AI-generated music in a concert, because what’s the point. But do you think it won’t sell on streaming? I grant the findings you mention, but are they going to be the same for a generation who grows up with this stuff? And the quality is going to get better. A few years ago I got AI-generated papers submitted to a conference and an AI-generated book submitted to a writing contest. They were both laughably bad. But now AI generated writing has fooled real writers. True, AI writing doesn’t come from the heart, but in the '50s there were a bunch of sf writers who churned out tons of stuff (including Robert Silverberg) and I doubt much of their output came from the heart. I remember when they started talking about manufacturing with lot size one - that is, instead of lots of exactly the same items, each was personalized. It’s standard today. Look at Dell. I visited a Mercedes factory in Germany - every car on the line was different from just about every other. I can see lot size one for movies also. Maybe you want the heroine to be a blonde. Maybe she should have the features of your current crush. There are already books for little kids where their names get inserted into the story. I’m not worried about AI diminishing human creativity. I’m worried about it making human creativity not pay off anymore. The Times covered a romance writer who used AI to “write” 100 books last year. Some of them sold, enough sold so she made good money. And think about when a romance fan can order up her own book. Sure, it might be crap, but it is crap that is exactly what she is looking for. Literary fiction writers are probably safe, that that stuff doesn’t sell as easily. When a potential consumer of any art can’t make a decision because of the mass of AI slop out there, don’t you think they may wind up generating their own? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/113 "2026-10-04T15:57:45Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I grant the findings you mention, but are they going to be the same for a generation who grows up with this stuff? Dunno. > [@Voyager](#): > > I can see lot size one for movies also. Maybe you want the heroine to be a blonde. Maybe she should have the features of your current crush. This though? No. First - Big investment items are where we sweat the small stuff but few want to make too many decisions about a streaming show. Asking people to decide between the in color or black and white version of _Spider Noir_ was even pushing it! (Is the other choice better? Maybe I should try one ep the other way?) And I strongly suspect there is a place for shared experiences. “We” still want to talk about what “we” just saw, or read or even heard in some cases, with other people. I completely concede the point for background music, decorations, disposable and even some higher end items that are defined by their function: when AI quality is good enough (or even objectively better) for less cost? Sure it will displace a significant portion of human created such stuff. But “certifiably created by a human” will be a premium status item. And specific to pornography, Here’s podcast about AI content that I heard when first dropped, totally SFW, which might be of interest? There is a transcript so you don’t need to listen (of course AI generated). > **[Digital stimulation: AI and porn](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-stimulation-ai-and-porn/id1449631195?i=1000740637137)** > > Podcast Episode · The Intelligence from The Economist · December 10, 2025 · 20m OnlyFans is a big business with many consumers willing to pay I don’t even know how much to access specific creators’ products, in an era where there is no shortage of a huge variety of porn at no cost. My WAG is those consumers will continue to be willing to pay for as much perceived authenticity as they can obtain. Minimizing AI on their site is a business choice to justify people choosing to pay for the content. I guess I am not understanding why this? > [@Voyager](#): > > What scares me is that AI-generated porn will someday be as good visually as filmed porn, but customized to the consumer of it. Scared for the fate of the sex workers creating porn product, that their human creativity won’t pay off anymore? Or what? Of all the ways AI may impact our society I guess displacing humans from sex work is not in my top ten. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/114 "2026-10-04T16:15:07Z")
I was reflecting on one aspect of AI customer service - phone call lines. Currently customers prefer live agents over machines. But a lot of that is driven by two factors - the awkwardness of the computer-generated voices and the horrible selection trees (“press 1 for …”). Trying to get help that requires 22 steps to figure out the right topic only to have to repeat the information to the live agent is frustrating. But AI has been improving. The vocal quality sounds much more human. But the biggest improvement is the ability to state your request in plain language, not have to fit a specific one or two word key word exactly. It still has a way to go with some content and some awkward pronunciations. But as they improve, they do offer the caller a distinct advantage over a bank of live agents - response time. No more waiting 20 minutes on hold to get to a person. If AI can provide just routine answers and then sends to a live agent for complex issues, you get an immediate answer on the phone, not put on hold endlessly, routine questions get answers quickly, and then a live agent is available with minimal delay to deal with complex issues, _and_ the interaction feels more natural than a phone tree or computer voice of the past. It will take time to adjust, for people to have the experience and see the response time advantage. But I think there might be a positive future for this application. And the better AI agents get, the more issues they will be able to take care of themselves. Yes, people will lose jobs as phone bank customer service reps. But if the customer experience actually improves, and customers recognize the improvement, the actual value to the customers will be better, nevermind the cost savings to to company. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/115 "2026-10-04T17:50:36Z")
The problem is that the same people who design the phone trees are the ones facilitating the AI. Every time I call a bank or utility, they insist on reading my balance (which I already know before I call), trying to convince me to visit their website (which I’ve already done before I called), and otherwise wasting my time. Since live agents are usually not really allowed off-script, anyway, AI is already largely equivalent, but with AI, it’s easier to insert a commercial into the middle of the interaction. It will never be an improvement over live agents. Though it will probably be more consistent. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/116 "2026-10-04T18:24:26Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I wasn’t talking about reactions to it, I was talking about filmic quality. In movies these days we see CGI that we know is made up but which is an integral part of the movie, and really no worse than in-camera effects. There’s a lot of CGI and effects in movies that we don’t actually perceive. Even with directors and films who are known for mostly relying on practical effects. Regardless of the quality or seamlessness of particular effects or filming techniques, unfortunately there is an element of “how the hell did they film that?!” when we know the answer could always be “some form of CGI / AI”. > [@Voyager](#): > > Sure you don’t want to hear AI-generated music in a concert, because what’s the point. But do you think it won’t sell on streaming? > I grant the findings you mention, but are they going to be the same for a generation who grows up with this stuff? And the quality is going to get better. A few years ago I got AI-generated papers submitted to a conference and an AI-generated book submitted to a writing contest. They were both laughably bad. But now AI generated writing has fooled real writers. True, AI writing doesn’t come from the heart, but in the '50s there were a bunch of sf writers who churned out tons of stuff (including Robert Silverberg) and I doubt much of their output came from the heart. > I remember when they started talking about manufacturing with lot size one - that is, instead of lots of exactly the same items, each was personalized. It’s standard today. Look at Dell. I visited a Mercedes factory in Germany - every car on the line was different from just about every other. > I can see lot size one for movies also. Maybe you want the heroine to be a blonde. Maybe she should have the features of your current crush. There are already books for little kids where their names get inserted into the story. > I’m not worried about AI diminishing human creativity. I’m worried about it making human creativity not pay off anymore. The Times covered a romance writer who used AI to “write” 100 books last year. Some of them sold, enough sold so she made good money. And think about when a romance fan can order up her own book. Sure, it might be crap, but it is crap that is exactly what she is looking for. Literary fiction writers are probably safe, that that stuff doesn’t sell as easily. > When a potential consumer of any art can’t make a decision because of the mass of AI slop out there, don’t you think they may wind up generating their own? I’ve seen people come up with some interesting and creative AI-generated material online. So what’s fascinating to me that a single or handful of people can produce almost movie studio production value stories for a fraction of the cost (adjusting for the various limitations and eccentricities of AI generated material). But you also raise some significant concerns about how such technology could impact our culture. I don’t necessarily WANT a story mass-customized to my particular tastes. Part of the enjoyment of engaging with books or film or other media is having someone else share their vision and thoughts and beliefs with you, even if you don’t agree with them. It also unifies us culturally, being able to discuss such works together. What does a world where everyone is entertained by their own personalized AI storyteller look like? > [@Voyager](#): > > In the Dope real people talk to real people I know I’m a real person. Can’t really vouch for the rest of you. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/117 "2026-10-04T18:32:39Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I know I’m a real person. I’m not. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/118 "2026-10-04T20:30:15Z")
Thanks for the podcast link. I’m not sure the study makes me feel better because the people taking it can clearly tell the difference between real and AI-generated pictures. If we can enforce tagging of AI generated content, or have a “certifiably human” label, that will definitely help. Publishers are putting “No AI content” labels on books already. How to enforce such tags is an interesting question. I can’t think of a way. Now obviously, people looking at porn generated by their command are going to know. But will people looking at some of the flood of AI porn slop? What makes me worried is that it seems younger people are already not connecting, with birth rates down. When I was 20 I was limited to a few magazines, some greasy theaters, and maybe some hard to show movies. It kind of incentivized you to find real people. Customizable porn is getting cheaper, see OnlyFans. What happens when it is free? You’re optimistic about people choosing reality over fantasy, and some will. But it might make things tougher. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/119 "2026-10-04T20:38:15Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I don’t necessarily WANT a story mass-customized to my particular tastes. Part of the enjoyment of engaging with books or film or other media is having someone else share their vision and thoughts and beliefs with you, even if you don’t agree with them. It also unifies us culturally, being able to discuss such works together. > > What does a world where everyone is entertained by their own personalized AI storyteller look like? I’m sure that there will always be a demand for books and media that everyone else is watching. The Bandwagon Effect happens. But people’s time is finite and how much of their reading or watching time will be committed to slop? Right now publishers and libraries and bookstores are gatekeepers, filtering out the self published stuff. Which might not be junk, but they don’t have the time to sort the good from the bad. And self-published writers (no AI) are frustrated that the local librarian doesn’t want to shelve their book, and the local bookseller doesn’t want to sell it. Perhaps we’ll all have AIs trained on our preferences which will read the flood of incoming books and tell us which ones might appeal. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973/120 "2026-10-04T20:51:28Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > You’re optimistic about people choosing reality over fantasy Well no? As far as porn goes neither is reality and it is already pretty widely available for free of all sorts up to legal limits. Separate thread, and I know it’s here somewhere, if material not legal with living people would or should be legal if no real persons or animals are involved. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973.md?page=7)