Mom was shocked when she discovered her son used AI to create 18+ content from real people's photos
(Dan Tri) - Parents discovered that their son used AI to create sexual content from real people's faces. The story raises privacy issues when AI can turn a normal photo into 18+ content.
Don't just stop at watching 18+ movies
Talking to Dan Tri reporter, psychology expert, MSc. Hoang Quoc Lan told about a case where he once received counseling. The client is a young man in his 20s with a history of anxiety and obsessive thoughts extending back to adolescence.
Besides these problems, young men have a habit of watching sexual content online, including hentai, a form of comics and animation with adult content.
Master Hoang Quoc Lan said he once received a case of a mother seeking advice after discovering her son used AI to create sexual content from real people's faces (Illustration: Doan Thuy).
Notably, young men also use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create sexual images and content. The faces included in these content are of real people that young men know or choose based on their own desires.
After creating imaginary images and videos, young men use them as a source of stimulation for masturbation.
According to experts, this behavior is done quite discreetly. However, the incident was eventually discovered by the mother.
Young men use AI to create sexual images according to their own fantasies to serve masturbation (Illustration: Doan Thuy).
"The mother's first reaction was shock and confusion. She did not think her child would not only watch 18+ content but also actively use AI to create sexual content from images of real people around her," Master Hoang Quoc Lan recounted.
When a photo can also become "raw material" for AI
The case of MSc Hoang Quoc Lan is not the only story that shows new risks emerging as AI technology becomes increasingly accessible.
While previously creating a highly realistic fake image or video required editing skills, today's generative AI tools allow users to create custom photos, videos or edit an image of a real person with just a few taps.
One of the tools causing concern is "nudify", which uses AI to turn a photo of a clothed person into a fake nude image. Worth mentioning, the input image can be just a regular photo taken from social networks.
"nudify" tools can use a regular photo as input to create fake nude images using AI (Illustration: Doan Thuy).
In Australia, the eSafety Commissioner has warned that applications of this type can turn selfies, school photos or photos posted on social networks into fake sensitive content. The agency said the tool is accessible, low-cost or free and requires no technical skills from users.
The problem appeared right in the school environment.
In September 2025, eSafety said two popular "nudify" services attract about 100,000 visits per month in Australia and have been identified as being involved in creating fake sensitive images of students.
The number of reports from people under 18 related to digitally altered intimate images, including deepfakes, in 18 months has more than doubled the total number of reports in the previous 7 years.
By May 2026, the agency continued to move to handle another "nudify" AI service because there were no strong enough measures to prevent children from accessing sexual deepfake content. The service allows uploading photos of real people and creating fake sexual content on demand.
Generative AI is changing the way 18+ content is created, when users can personalize characters, faces and situations according to their imagination (Illustration: Doan Thuy).
These developments show that the story is no longer just about what children "watch" on the Internet. With generative AI, children can also become creators of sensitive content from photos of friends, acquaintances or anyone whose photos appear online.
According to MSc Hoang Quoc Lan, instead of just checking access history or banning, parents need to pay attention to how their children use AI tools, and talk about privacy, consent and limits when using other people's images.
The important thing is not to monitor every action your child makes on the phone, but to help children understand that technology can create an image that is not real, but the injuries to the person included in that image can be completely real.
Is it a "deviant" expression?
One of the questions that makes mothers worry the most when looking for a specialist is whether their child is having a psychological problem or if this is just a behavior that parents do not understand properly.
According to MSc Hoang Quoc Lan, it is necessary to separate the two issues.
Sexual desire and masturbation in a young adult are not unusual per se. Watching 18+ content does not mean a person has a psychological disorder.
The noteworthy point in this case lies in the way young men use AI to realize sexual fantasies, especially when faces and images of real people are included in content without their consent.
"This is the point where we need to look at the story broader than the issue of watching porn. AI is changing the way a person approaches and creates sexual content, from just watching what is available to the ability to personalize content according to one's own fantasies," the expert analyzed.
According to MSc Hoang Quoc Lan, the notable issue does not lie in simple sexual desire but in using images of real people to create sexual content without consent (Illustration photo: Doan Thuy).
Taking the face of a real person to create sexual content without receiving consent raises another issue, related to the privacy and boundaries of others.
According to experts, AI makes this boundary more noticeable because a fantasy that only exists in thoughts can now quickly turn into a realistic image or video of a specific person.
"The risk here is blurring the line between 'what I want' and 'what rights others have', especially the right to privacy and the right to decide on one's own image," said Master Hoang Quoc Lan.
Some websites allow users to create "AI girlfriends", customize appearance, personality and provide mature content (Screenshot).
Another issue is the ability to control behavior. AI tools can create content that is increasingly personalized, accessible and continuously tailored to users' needs.
If a person spends more and more time on this content, finds it difficult to proactively stop, or depends on it for relief, the behavior can begin to affect work, relationships, and actual sex life.
Frequently creating a "world" in which the character always acts according to the user's wishes can also raise questions about how real relationships are perceived.
In real life, a relationship always has limits, rejection and the need for consent from both sides. Meanwhile, AI-generated characters can be fully adjusted to the user's wishes.
However, MSc Hoang Quoc Lan emphasized that we should not infer from this that creating or viewing AI 18+ content will definitely change a person's personality or cause a person to lose the ability to build relationships in real life.
What needs to be considered is whether the behavior is repetitive, difficult to control, and begins to affect how the person views privacy, consent, and real-life relationships.
In the above case, experts also advise mothers not to start by blaming, questioning or calling their children with words like "pervert" or "sick".
Instead, parents can start by listening to understand what needs the behavior stems from, whether the child still has control, and whether using AI content becomes a way to relieve other emotional issues.
In cases where the child has difficulty sharing with the family or the child's behavior shows signs of being difficult to control, experts say that parents can suggest that the child talk to a psychologist where the child feels safe, instead of forcing or judging.