IRL influencers are out, and virtual influencers are in. Sidestepping fashion campaigns and Coachella, YouPorn has debuted the first ever CGI porn star.
The adult site introduced its new computer-generated spokeswoman, Jedy Vales, to the world yesterday, in partnership with porn tech company Camasutra VR.
Vales will have her own Twitter and Instagram profiles where she’ll interact with fans in a SFW capacity (given the platforms’ strict censorship rules), and a Modelhub account for the more explicit stuff. As reported by Adweek, the porn star will also be rendered in real-time through video game software Unreal Engine, enabling her to film NSFW videos.
“Jedy is the quintessential representation of the technological innovations we are known for,” YouPorn vice president Charlie Hughes said in a statement, “and so she is the perfect spokesperson to represent YouPorn.” The site’s partner Camasutra VR is one of the leaders when it comes to VR porn, last year unveiling an experience in which users can have sex with virtual versions of real porn stars.
Although the collaboration centres on the tech innovation aspect of the project, you have to question the dangers when it comes to representation of women – something that’s already a point of contention in real-life porn. White, beautiful, and perfectly proportioned, the tech might be revolutionary, but Vales isn’t.
Given technology’s fraught history with porn, and social media’s problematic impact on IRL porn stars, it will be interesting to see how CGI adult performers impact the industry. Though, with the UK’s porn ban imminent, it’s encouraging to see adult sites expanding onto SFW platforms.