
While sex trafficking and porn have both been defined as forms of sexual violence, rooted in a system of gender inequality, what is often overlooked is the way these two industries are culturally, technologically, and economically linked. In the first part of this presentation, we will explore how porn acts as both a method of recruitment into trafficking, and a major driver of demand. We will provide examples of how social media platforms are fueling sexual exploitation and prostitution, from the exchange of sexual currency in Live Streams to the grooming and recruitment of young people into prostitution and sex trafficking. In the second part of this presentation, we will discuss how the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is magnifying greatly the quantity, scope, accessibility, and harms of pornography. We will discuss how traffickers use AI to target, recruit, exploit, and abuse victims, and how sextortion has become a gateway to trafficking. AI now makes it possible for any person of any age to easily create porn - and to be victimized by porn. There are thousands of easy-to-find nudifying apps and websites – that anyone is now a potential victim. And with a few keystrokes, any person so inclined can easily become a perpetrator. Finally, we will conclude with how Culture Reframed, through a public health approach, assists parents and professionals who work with young people in navigating the treacherous terrain of social media, pornography, AI, and trafficking.