Robots Tell You What Porn to Watch, Author Says

CYBERSPACE—Most porn fans have searched for videos on Pornhub, and the other large tube sites. In all likelihood, if you’re one of those fans, you’ve found a video that delivers exactly what you’re looking for, no matter how specific your tastes, or your search terms. But what you may not know is that your preferences in adult fare are being analyzed by tech data specialists anticipated by the sophisticated algorithms they create—essentially cyberspace robots that know what you’re looking for almost before you do, and then deliver it in great detail. And apparently, according to an article in Britain’s Independent newspaper this week, those robots are now having a direct influence over not only the videos that turn up in search results, but on porn producers and directors—who are now shooting scenes designed specifically to show up high in algorithmically determined search results. The Independent story cited reporting by author and journalist Jon Ronson, whose seven-part podcast The Butterfly Effect documents how technology, the internet and big business from cyberspace have changed the porn industry. Ronson visited the set of a shoot for a video titled Cheerleader Stepdaughter Orgy, which veteran porn director Mike Quasar explains is simply an attempt to include three frequently searched keywords in the same title. The days when Quasar and other porn auteurs could shoot hardcore films with titles such as Women of Influence are long gone. "That’s because of search engine optimization,” Ronson explained in an interview with Britain’s Telegraph newspaper. “Everyone has to adhere to keywords. Everyone’s looking to see what the most searched phrases are, and then they give them back.” The result creates a “feedback loop,” Ronson says, in which the porn industry produces content to match top-ranked search terms, squeezing out other varieties of porn and limiting opportunities not only for consumers but performers as well. For example, Ronson points out, because the search terms “teen” and “MILF” are among the highest rated search terms, female performers who fail to fit into either of those categories find themselves hurting for work in the industry. “There’s a sort of fallow period between teen and MILF where 25-year-old adult film actors aren’t getting any work,” Ronson said.  "This is the problem,” wrote Independent columnist Kirsty Major. “One tapped-in desire leads to another popular one being viewed, and searched for again, creating a feedback loop. Palettes become limited as algorithms shape desires. Most of us aren’t having sex with robots, but the type of sex we are having is being directed by them, and it’s going in the wrong direction."