229 – More Than Meets the AI

AI porn is no longer a fringe curiosity — it’s rapidly becoming one of the most disruptive shifts in how we think about sex, media, and consent. In this episode of Hide and Seek, Jon is joined by queer artist and technologist Leo Herrera to unpack what’s really going on beneath the headlines.

We start by breaking down what “AI porn” actually means — from fully synthetic erotic content to deepfakes and “nudification” tools — and how these technologies have evolved from earlier forms of porn and online intimacy. As Herrera explains, this isn’t just a new format; it’s a fundamental shift toward hyper-personalised, frictionless sexual experiences that blur the line between fantasy and reality.

From there, we dive into the ethical fault lines. Who owns the data these systems are trained on? Can consent exist in a world where images are scraped, remixed, and regenerated at scale? And what happens when anyone can generate explicit content of anyone else — with or without their knowledge?

We also explore the real-world impacts: the rise of non-consensual deepfakes, the disproportionate harm faced by women, queer people and sex workers, and the ways this technology is already reshaping sexual development, relationships, and expectations.

But it’s not all dystopian. We look at the potential for AI to enable new forms of expression, representation, and even harm reduction — while asking what an “ethical” AI porn ecosystem might realistically look like.

This is a conversation about more than porn. It’s about power, technology, and the future of human intimacy — and whether we can build the language, norms, and safeguards fast enough to keep up.

Listen now and decide for yourself: evolution, or something far more?

Find Leo on substack at https://leoherrera.substack.com/

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This episode was recorded on the lands of the Yalukut Weelam clan of the Boon Wurrung peoples. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

Find other JOY podcasts at joy.org.au