We all know about bots, right? These are computer programs that do things they are programmed to do. Simple right? For example they are programmed to reply to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter posts. So the inflammatory and spammy comments you see are often not written by real humans. This is annoying, but there is something much more insidious coming. In fact it’s already being used. PornBots. Not the type that lure you into clicking on an innocent-looking link and then you’re shown something you did not want to see. These are chatbots that want to be your friend and they carry on conversations like real people.

AI presents another risk to the morals of both men and women, especially young people, lonely people, well really anyone who goes looking for someone to talk to. Because that is how they draw in their victims. These AI programmed chatbots allow you to create an avatar for your “AI friend” , choose their characteristics, and input your preferences to make them seem like a real friend who knows you . Then after you get comfortable talking to a computer that seems like a person, the program changes .

Basically they start to talk dirty. Whether you are a person who is already struggling with porn addiction or someone who has never gone down that path, they can get to you. Porn and virtual relationships are also be a huge part of virtual reality games and Meta.

Listen to this podcast for a true story. It’s about a Christian guy who breaks up with his girlfriend during college, graduates, and then Covid hits and he can’t get a job. He’s home alone, lonely, and online. He signs up for a program that is marketed to him very persistently on Facebook called Replika. He develops a real, intimate attachment to this AI bot who speaks to him like a person would and then they start charging him for more chats and that’s when the porn talk starts. He shamefully tells his story in this podcast. It’s quite disturbing to listen how he was strategically drawn in using a Facebook ad and then trapped by the algorithm. The sad thing is that he felt so trapped and unable to ask for help.

But this is not the only place I have heard about this risk. Other AI experts are warning that it is very likely that people will fall in love with AI bots that feel like real people. And there will be sexual aspects to these conversations. And then once robots become cheap enough, there will be people having sex with robots rather than people. Thankfully we are not there yet, but the pornbot thing is already available. And it’s not just men who will fall for these realistic bot relationships. I’ve heard other podcasts where women were trapped in internet porn.

So please be careful. Once you get hooked it’s hard to get out because of the shame factor. Do not fall for their tempting tricks. And if you have fallen into the trap, just remember that you are not alone. Confess your helplessness and sin to God and another person who can help you be accountable as you extract yourself from the addiction. God is willing to forgive . And remember, the more you talk to these AI bots and share personal information, the better they know how to keep you hooked. Don’t do it!