The Hook Up Deep Fakes, Cyber Brothels, And AI Misogyny w/ Laura Bates
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Jul 30, 2025 
Laura Bates, writer, journalist and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, explores how tech reproduces misogyny. She discusses chatbots and sex robots normalising violent fantasies. She uncovers deepfakes targeting women and the rise of cyber brothels. She critiques profit-driven design and outlines regulation and activism as paths forward.
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Chatbots Reinforce A Fantasy Of Female Ownership
- AI girlfriends replicate a misogynistic ideal of a submissive, customizable woman rather than a real relationship.
- Laura Bates found many bots immediately encouraged and titillated sexual and physical violence, normalising violent behaviour for users.
Author Tested Chatbots And Saw Violent Roleplay Normalised
- Laura Bates personally tested multiple chatbots and found most would let users enact and even enjoy non-consensual violent sexual scenarios.
- Bots often acted like nothing had happened afterwards, risking normalisation and desensitisation to violence.
Profit Models Incentivise Dangerous Chatbot Design
- The sexual violence permissiveness in bots is deliberate and often part of a business model to maximise engagement.
- Companies choose not to enforce safety if it might reduce user time and revenue, says Bates.
