Multiple Chinese online platforms are openly selling tutorials on how to use AI to generate pornographic videos. For as little as 9.9 yuan ($1.4), users can purchase prompts to feed chatbots and produce semi-nude videos featuring their desired hairstyles, body shapes, motions, and facial expressions in just minutes — all without triggering content moderation filters.

Revealed in an investigation by state broadcaster CCTV published on Sunday, these tutorials claim that with just one photo or even a few sentences, users can create “adult videos to satisfy themselves.”

Though private creation or viewing AI-generated pornography is not explicitly banned in China, distributing such content is illegal, and purchasing tutorials or prompts may lead to detention and fines if the buyer forwards or shares them. Producing, copying, publishing, disseminating, or possessing pornographic materials and online content involving minors also automatically constitutes a criminal offense.

Tutorial posts bear titles such as “AI-generated videos of beautiful women,” “The best selection of adult content online,” and “Make five figures a day with AI adult videos.” Tutorials teach users how to create such videos from scratch and also advise users on how to avoid legal consequences, such as by using foreign AI software to turn pictures into videos or running the programs offline. 

On Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, some users also sell prompts — sets of instructions that tell the AI what to do — for making adult videos. Prompts describe desired hairstyle, clothes, body shape, poses, facial expressions, and even how much the generated character’s waist and hips should move. Sellers claim that buyers can simply copy the prompts into AI video tools to obtain the adult videos they want.

CCTV purchased two sets of prompts online and put them into 10 popular AI apps. They found that if a prompt is too sexually explicit, most AI apps refused to generate the video. But the Chinese AI app “LibLib AI” generated a video of a topless woman dancing within minutes. They also discovered that by using English, vague, indirect wording, many AI apps could still be used to create explicit videos.

Following consumer tip-offs, CCTV also found an online AI photo tool advertising “download-free, quickly generated face swapping from pictures and videos,” enabling paying users to create adult videos from a single picture or video of a real person.

An industry insider told CCTV that AI chatbot app promoters reward users who recruit others with coins — redeemable digital tokens — and cashback, and also help users create posts to attract even more users.

In April, China announced new rules for “AI anthropomorphic interactive services,” banning the use of AI to spread pornographic or sexual content. The rules also state that the use of AI to generate harmful content directed at minors is also illegal, including offering virtual partners or other virtual sexual services. Violators can be fined between 10,000 yuan and 200,000 yuan or have their services suspended.

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson

(Header image: Visuals from @央视财经 on Weibo and VCG, reedited by Sixth Tone)