A new research study reveals that broad availability of AI-generated adult content may have led to sharp increases in sexual criminality. The research took advantage of a natural experiment in response to a schism in scholarly literature, with some psychology researchers theorizing online fantasies have a cathartic effect, while an opposing strain of social learning and stimulation theory holds that online fantasies stoke rather than satiate the desire to commit sexual crimes. Researchers accessed Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) monthly crime statistics for the period January 2022 to October 2024. Smack in the middle of this time frame was the mid-2023 Japanese launch of ChatGPT’s mobile application, which was treated as an external shock that materially reduced access frictions in a mobile-first market. The article notes that earlier this year, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, announced his intention to introduce an “adult mode” within ChatGPT, though the ensuing furor led to the idea being sidelined for now.