Common Sense Media Releases New Research on Teens and AI-Generated Explicit Material

SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, 2026—Common Sense Media's Youth AI Safety Institute today released new research that reveals some concerning truths about teens' use of AI to create explicit deepfakes. The report found that nearly half of teens have already seen AI-generated explicit sexual material, and almost a quarter have seen it depicting themselves or someone they know.

"AI has made it possible for anyone, at any time, to create nude images and videos with one click," said Common Sense Media founder and CEO James P. Steyer. "Our new research confirms that, even if parents don't know it, many teens are seeing explicit deepfakes online. It's time for parents to start having honest, judgment-free conversations with their teens about AI and pornography. These talks aren't always easy, but they are always necessary."

Researchers from Common Sense Media and the global communications firm Burson surveyed a demographically representative set of 1,314 teens age 13 to 17 in the United States. Key findings from the report include:

• Two-thirds of teens (67%) fear being deepfaked without consent, and many are scaling back online activity to protect themselves. Among those who are worried, they are making social media accounts private (30%), posting images of themselves less (23%), or deleting social media accounts (9%). Girls are more worried than boys (71% vs. 62%).
• 1 in 5 (18%) has made AI pornography or knows someone who has, and 25% have shared it or know someone who has.
• They're doing it to people they know: Among those who have created AI pornography or know someone who has, 63% have created pornography depicting themselves or people they know.
• Boys are almost three times as likely as girls to have made it (11% vs. 4%).
• 82% who have seen AI-generated pornography say creating it without consent should be illegal, but 23% believe AI nudes are less harmful than real ones "because no one gets hurt."

Despite the real concerns about teens' exposure to AI-generated sexual material, many teens expressed interest in talking to trusted adults about deepfakes and pornography. Common Sense Media offers free resources for starting those conversations here.

The full report can be found here.

About the Youth AI Safety Institute and Common Sense Media

The Youth AI Safety Institute sets standards, conducts research, and independently tests the AI products children use most. It's part of Common Sense Media, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the research-backed information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the age of apps, algorithms, and AI. We rate, educate, and advocate to protect and prepare kids online. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users globally, over 1.5 million educators, and more than 100,000 schools worldwide every year.

The Youth AI Safety Institute is funded by both philanthropy and industry, including the makers of some of the technologies it evaluates. The Institute is solely responsible for its standards, research, and evaluations, and maintains complete editorial independence over published results.