In recent years, the internet has become a battleground for the exploitation of women, fueled by the insidious rise of artificial intelligence-generated pornographic content. This alarming trend involves the creation of hyper-realistic simulations of sexual acts using AI, often facilitated by free and accessible apps that utilize deepfake technology.

In 2023, one of the most notable instances of this exploitation unfolded when actress Emma Watson’s likeness was used in a sexually suggestive advertisement promoting one such app, garnering over 10 million views alone on X, formerly known as Twitter. That same year, it was found that at least 244,625 AI-generated pornographic videos, including deepfakes, had been uploaded to the top 35 websites that host deepfake porn videos in the past seven years, highlighting the widespread nature of the issue beyond specific celebrity cases like Watson’s.

The rise of AI porn has not only targeted celebrities but also regular people, many of whom are often underage. Last fall, at a high school in Washington, a male student used an AI app to generate sexually explicit images of women classmates who had attended their homecoming dance.

AI porn apps are becoming incredibly pervasive in everyday life. A 2019 report found that 96% of deepfake images were non consensual pornography, with 99% of those targeted being women. AI-generated pornographic videos amassed over 4.2 billion views on various websites.

As the popularity of AI porn continues to soar, with millions of views and downloads recorded each day, it becomes increasingly clear that this issue is not just about explicit content — it’s about the systemic objectification and dehumanization of women in the digital age.

There are currently few to no laws protecting victims of such exploitation. Forty-six states have laws banning revenge porn, but only Virginia and California include deepfake and AI-generated porn. However, these laws have done little to stop the spread and proliferation of AI-generated pornography, leaving victims with limited legal recourse as they face ongoing harm.

Xochitl Gomez, an actress whose deepfake circulated on X when she was only 17 years old, faced significant challenges in removing the content. Neither X  nor legal avenues provided a viable solution for removing the videos.

The proliferation of AI porn represents a disturbing evolution in the objectification and exploitation of women, underscoring the urgent need for a radical feminist resurgence. Radical feminism, as espoused by thinkers like Andrea Dworkin, provides a trenchant analysis of the deep-seated misogyny that underpins AI porn and its societal acceptance.

Dworkin’s analysis goes beyond viewing pornography as a passive reflection of societal norms. Instead, she argues that it actively shapes and reinforces these norms, particularly regarding gender roles and power dynamics. In her view, pornography is not simply a form of entertainment or expression but a medium through which patriarchal values and attitudes are disseminated and normalized.

By depicting women as objects of men’s desire and portraying violence against women as acceptable or even desirable, pornography perpetuates harmful stereotypes and reinforces the subordination of women in society.

Embodying Dworkin’s philosophy is significant to confronting AI porn effectively. It is imperative to adopt a radical feminist stance that goes beyond mere legal or technological resolutions that only provide Band-Aid solutions. In doing so, the very foundations of a society that allows for the creation and dissemination of such degrading material must be challenged.

This means rejecting the notion that women’s bodies are commodities to be consumed and controlled and instead affirming their autonomy and agency. It means dismantling patriarchal structures that uphold patriarchal dominance and privilege and instead centering women’s experiences and voices in the discourse around sexuality and consent.

In a world where men are primarily the perpetrators of such behavior, establishing radical feminism as a foundation for change is crucial. To catalyze men’s rejection of AI porn creation and encourage their embrace of radical feminism, proactive steps must be taken. This involves challenging toxic masculinity, promoting healthy expressions of sexuality grounded in respect for consent and autonomy, and fostering a culture that values gender equality.

The reemergence of radical feminism offers a potent antidote to the insidious spread of AI porn. By reclaiming the narrative and challenging the status quo, radical feminism empowers us to envision a world where women are not reduced to mere objects of desire but are seen and respected as equals.