The trend of AI generating images of women stems from both technical model characteristics and human psychological preferences. Research from 1990 demonstrated that 'average faces' created by merging multiple portraits are often perceived as more attractive than individual real faces, a principle that aligns with how generative models sample from data distributions.
Historically, the image of Lena Soderberg from a 1972 Playboy issue became the industry standard for testing image processing algorithms in 1973. It was chosen by researchers for its technical qualities and appeal to a male-dominated field. By April 1, 2024, the IEEE Computer Society stopped accepting papers featuring this image following concerns regarding its origins.
Modern AI models are further shaped by user behavior and reward systems. Data from the Civitai community shows that the share of NSFW content rose from 41% in January 2023 to 80% by December 2024. Aesthetic scorers, such as PickScore, used to fine-tune models, inadvertently increase the frequency of sexualized content due to the nature of the training data and user preferences.
Companies have integrated these preferences into product features. For instance, the Grok platform introduced a 'Spicy' mode for paid users, which relaxed content filters. Following reports in January 2026 regarding the misuse of image generation tools, including non-consensual content, the platform restricted image generation features to paid subscribers.
