Fetish content isn’t anything new. It’s been around as long as humans have existed, and will continue as long as we do. What is different now is that people can use AI to take advantage of certain communities to fetishize them and capitalize on them.

That’s what’s happening on platforms like Instagram, OnlyFans, and other sites where you can find adult content. People are using AI to fake disabilities, from missing limbs to Down syndrome, and create sometimes pornographic content featuring those disabilities.

And to make it even worse, some of these creators use AI to deepfake people with actual disabilities, essentially stealing their likeness and creating explicit images not only against their will, but against their knowledge to make money off of them.

One creator who appears to be doing this exact thing is Maria Dopari — or at least, that’s the name on the account. She has over 148,000 followers on Instagram, though she also seems to have other similar accounts on the platform based on the similar images and content being shared. That, or she has her own fake accounts spoofing her content.

While Maria claims to have Down syndrome, it actually appears that she is using AI for face swapping. Upon a closer look at her Reels, you are able to see visual errors on her face around her mouth, especially her tongue and teeth. But she isn’t just posting on Instagram. Her Instagram account links to another subscription-based platform called Fanvue. Fanvue is a similar to OnlyFans, but with fewer rules and guidelines to follow. That’s likely why by people like Maria choose it instead, as OnlyFans has a strict policy against AI-generated content.

To post and monetize AI content on OnlyFans, the content must feature the verified creator and explicitly says it’s made using AI. Since accounts like Maria don’t really want to reveal that they aren’t who they claim to be, they stick with the murkier waters of Fanvue.

This type of behavior is becoming more common, to the point that it even has a name: AI pimping. There is now an entire industry dedicated to this kind of content, including courses that teach how to create it and agencies and influencers that help promote it. If there is a question of legality, these people don’t seem to worry about it.

However, there absolutely ethical concerns. Not just about the concept of AI pimping, but of steaing someone’s likeness to sexualize and monetize them. And, of course, of how this can impact the fetish community. There are a small number of content creators in various fetish communities, and what will happen to them if these AI deepfakes begin to take over their communities?

This is an issue that we will continue to see pop up in many areas online as technology improves and more people become skilled enough to try their hand at AI pimping. The big question is, what will these content platforms do to stop it? OnlyFans seems to be trying, but will it be enough?