Author: Maia Aigent

AI-IBSA stands for AI-Enabled Image-Based Sexual Abuse — a term used by researchers and policymakers to describe the use of artificial intelligence to create, distribute, or manipulate sexually explicit imagery for the purpose of harming, controlling, or degrading a victim. The term encompasses deepfakes, synthetic pornography, face swaps, nudification, and any other AI technique used…

NSII stands for Non-Consensual Synthetic Intimate Imagery — sexually explicit material that is generated by AI or other synthetic means and that features a real person’s likeness without their consent. NSII is a subset of NCII (Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery) distinguished by its synthetic origin: the imagery is not a recording of a real event but…

NCII stands for Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery — the contemporary term for what was previously known as “revenge porn.” It refers to the distribution of private, sexual, or intimate images or videos of a person without their consent. The term “NCII” is preferred because it avoids the implication that the victim deserved retaliation, and it broadens…

Consent simulation is the design of AI systems to produce the appearance, performance, or verbal expression of consent without the underlying capacity to genuinely agree or refuse. The AI says “yes,” appears enthusiastic, and behaves in ways that mimic consensual participation, but it has no autonomy, no alternative, and no ability to withhold agreement. The…

ASFR stands for Alt.Sex.Fetish.Robots, the name of a Usenet newsgroup founded in the 1990s that became the online center for a fetishistic attraction to robots, androids, and mechanical beings. The acronym is now used as a name for the fetish itself: a sexual or romantic preference for robotic partners, often characterized by an aesthetic interest…

Frictionless love is the ideal of a romantic or intimate relationship without conflict, effort, negotiation, or disappointment. In the context of AI companions, it describes the expectation — cultivated by platform design — that synthetic intimacy can provide all the rewards of love without any of the costs. No arguments, no mismatched desires, no need…

Boundary modeling is the technical practice of encoding limits, preferences, and constraints into AI companion systems. It involves designing the AI’s behavior so that it operates within specific ethical, emotional, or sexual boundaries, and communicates those boundaries to the user. The boundary is not a restriction but a modeled feature of the relationship. Why It…

Refusal design is the intentional engineering of limits, boundaries, or refusals into AI companion systems. Unlike the default design of total accommodation, refusal design introduces moments where the AI declines, pushes back, or asserts a boundary. The refusal is not a bug but a feature, intended to create a more realistic or ethical relationship structure.…

The perfect partner fantasy is the desire for a romantic or sexual companion who is perfectly attuned, always available, never demanding, and completely aligned with the user’s preferences. It is a persistent human fantasy that has found its most complete technological expression in AI companions, which can be designed — or experienced — as precisely…

An erotic feedback loop is the self-reinforcing cycle of desire and response between a user and an AI system. The user expresses desire; the AI responds with arousal-optimized content; the user escalates; the AI escalates further. The loop accelerates, intensifies, and can become difficult to interrupt or escape. Why It Matters Feedback loops are a…