It's only a matter of time until webcam girls will have to compete with deepfake models, Elysia Downings, a 29-year-old self-styled "sexual empowerment artist" from England, told The Daily Star.
Downings, who claims to make up to £4,000 (approximately $4,900) a month from her webcam sessions, assumed that virtual sex with AI-generated cam girls would be the future of the porn industry.
"AI will play a big part in the future of the sex industry and computer generated cam girls are certainly a strong possibility. I think these virtual experiences will be popular in the future and for some the lack of real emotions might even be preferable", the adult content creator said.
While advancements in technology will certainly affect the industry, there will still be a market for real cam girls regardless of the competition between humans and deepfake models, she explained.
"As new technology is introduced, the old ways will gradually die out, a bit like VHS tapes and DVDs - most people stream now. We can expect technology to enhance experiences for the client. I do think there'll be virtual cam girls too, but that doesn't mean humans will be made redundant, it just means the way we work will change", Downings added.
Deepfakes have already been used to produce nude images of clothed female celebrities, including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner, and Gal Gadot, among many others. The technique is only expected to become more accessible, with web security experts warning that soon it will be possible to face-swap anyone into deepfake porn.