Imagine you open a social media app on your phone and find sexualized images of yourself—images that you did not create and did not authorize.
This is exactly what happened to Ashley St. Clair on xAI’s Grok chatbot. Earlier this year, the Washington Post reported the story. It’s one of many such incidents, and xAI is now being targeted with a class action lawsuit.
However, Grok is not the only problematic AI platform. When ChatGPT first made headlines a few years ago, we wanted to understand the implications. So we spoke with Dr. Marcel van der Watt, a researcher and now the president and CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. Dr. van der Watt warned about the massive risks associated with generative AI, “You can’t just let a powerful technology like this out into the wild.”
But this technology is out in the wild and like it or not, the world of AI is the world that our kids are going into. Here’s what you need to know, and what you can do as a concerned parent.
AI Usage is Skyrocketing
According to PEW research, most adults use AI at least several times per week, with nearly a third using it several times a day or more. A survey of parents an students indicates the vast majority (86%) of students are using it as well.
People Are Turning to AI for Meaningful Connections
Harvard Business Review published a study analyzing more than 12,000 use cases. Top use-case for AI was therapy and companionship, accounting for 11% of all use-cases. This is an increase from 5% last year, indicating rapid adoption.
In a survey of over 1000 students:
- 86% of students have used AI.
- Of these, 42% used AI for mental health support.
- 42% used it as a friend or companion.
- 42% used AI as a way to escape from reality.
- 19% indicated they used AI to have a romantic relationship.
AI Porn is Now Mainstream
A recent study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior found that 80% of porn sites have the option to generate AI images.
The data analytics provider SEMRush shows more than 2 million monthly searches for variations of the keyword “AI porn.”
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline received 67,000 reports involving Generative AI in 2024. According to Engadget, that number increased to over one million in 2025.
Check more of our latest porn stats.
The Deepfake Problem
Even before the generative AI explosion, “deepfakes” became an increasingly common phenomenon. A deepfake is a doctored image that appears real. And the very first deepfake was artificially created celebrity pornography.
Security experts, concerned citizens, and government regulators recognized the danger. What happens when opposing candidates manufacture realistic images of politicians in compromising situations? Or when fabricated evidence is presented at trial?
Despite these concerns, there have been few solutions.
AI-generated “Revenge Porn”
Celebrities and public figures aren’t the only ones at risk for deepfakes. So-called “revenge porn” is the practice of distributing pornographic images of someone as a form of retaliation. With widely available AI tools, anyone can create pornographic images of anybody.
The Evils of AI Porn
At Covenant Eyes, we have chronicled the evils of the porn industry for many years.
Setting aside the deepfake problem, some might suggest that AI offers the potential of “ethical porn.” AI can create an endless variety of pornographic material without exploiting human performers. From a human rights perspective, problem solved, right?
Not at all. In fact, AI simply compounds the existing problems of pornography:
- AI porn still portrays the objectification and degradation of women. Even if the images are not of real people, they still influence how people perceive and treat women.
- The fake images are just as addictive as “real” porn. The human brain responds to sexual imagery because humans are sexual beings.
- Artificial images are often worse because they’re not limited by reality—any fetish or fantasy can be indulged. This is evidenced by the sharp rise of AI-generated CSAM (child sex abuse material).
The Rise of Artificial Relationships
The data tell us that artificial relationships are increasingly common. People are turning to AI not just for advice, but for emotional support and counseling. This should trouble us.
For starters, chatbots do not provide consistently reliable advice. According to the American Psychological Association, 9 out of 10 psychologists worry that AI tools may provide incorrect and harmful information. There are tragic cases of AI chatbots actually encouraging teens to commit suicide.
Even if the technology governance improves to eliminate these tragedies, there’s a fundamental risk to AI companionship. At Covenant Eyes, we’ve been saying for more than 26 years that real, human relationships provide the key to meaningful life change. This is especially true in the case of pornography addiction, where consumption of sexual content has become a substitute for genuine intimacy.
Pornography triggers a sexual response in the brain, but it can’t fulfill the basic human longing for relationship. In the same way, AI chatbots can recreate feelings of human intimacy to a certain extent. But ultimately, it will prove hollow.
What to Do About AI and AI Porn
As the parent of young children, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when I think about the world they have to live in. Today’s temptation is instant, private, and endlessly customizable. And yet, the call to us as parents hasn’t really changed. We need to equip them to navigate the world of AI with wisdom and discernment.
We do this by prioritizing the relationship over tech.
Talk About It
The explosion of AI and AI porn underscores a central truth: real human relationships, transparent conversations, and accountability are more important than ever.
It’s not a new idea. But there’s no replacement for having open conversations. AI porn isn’t the biggest threat to our kids, it’s silence and isolation. We must talk to our kids early and often about the dangers of pornography.
- If you need help getting started, check out our free course in the Victory app, How Should I Talk to My Kids About Porn?
Make Sure They Feel Safe
Do your kids feel confident to talk to you about anything? If they stumble on something they shouldn’t see, if they’re exposed to AI porn by a friend at school, or if they get caught up in sexually explicit conversations with a chatbot, will they feel safe telling you about it?
Establish Healthy Boundaries
The relational component is most important. But you also need to establish reasonable guidelines for using AI. Children and teens should never be given unmonitored access to generative AI applications. You can use accountability and porn blocking to regulate what apps are available.
As a general rule, young children should be shielded from generative AI applications completely. Older children and teens should only be allowed to use them with careful supervision.
Again, to reiterate the first point: conversation is crucial. These boundaries aren’t an end in themselves. They create an opportunity to teach wise and God-honoring decision-making online.
If you have thoughts on how parents should handle generative AI, leave us a comment below!
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