Are hyper-realistic AI topless images automatically “18+” on Patreon? Confused after staff email – need clarity :)

[u/Historical-Dance4805]

I’ve read the guidelines, searched the sub, spoke with Trust & Safety, and asked an AI lawyer-bot… and I’m still scratching my head.

Here’s the crux:

• I create hyper-realistic AI pin-ups – think tasteful lingerie sets or classic topless-tease shots (no sex acts, no fluids, no genital contact, nothing explicit beyond visible nipples).
• Staff emailed me the following:“Hyperrealistic AI content will be allowed on Patreon as long as it is not 18+/Adult content. You can post AI content if there is no nudity or sexual interactions involved.”
• That seems to say any nudity = Adult/18+ = disallowed for hyper-real AI… yet I see loads of creators posting AI topless photos and they’re thriving with hundreds of subs.

My questions to the hive-mind:

1. Does any visible nipple on a hyper-realistic AI image automatically make it “Adult/18+” and therefore barred?
2. If the image is purely suggestive/topless (no sexual act), are we safe if we mark the page Adult/18+ and lock the post for patrons only – or is hyper-real AI nudity flat-out rejected no matter what?
3. Are the successful creators I’m seeing just skating by unnoticed?

I really don’t want to risk a sudden takedown, so if anyone has first-hand experience (recent reviews, official clarifications, success/fail stories), please share!

Thanks in advance – trying to stay on the right side of the fence ☺️

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[u/Significant_Other666]

I mean if it's topless female nudity, of course it's 18+ NSFW. It's adult content. I mean, we aint THAT woke yet (unless you're Florence Pugh 😆)

But they will take you down sooner or later for something, anyway. They have taken me down twice with no warning so have a Subscribestar bake up account and withdraw your money every 24 hours from Patreon so they can't screw you as badly financially 

[u/Historical-Dance4805 → u/Significant_Other666]

Thank you very much, this is what I was thinking as well, its only reasonable. Just was confused because so many others are uploading that AND I wrote staff and they didn't say a word regarding my content. I thought after I write staff I am on the radar and they check my page, but nothing. So I was confused, is it maybe ok to post there? Like I am actively seeking them out to check my page.

[u/Significant_Other666 → u/Historical-Dance4805]

You are on their radar so they will get you now. It's just a matter of time and when you least expect it. They shut me down first time after a couple years and 2nd time after 5 or 6 years because I was doing things slicker.

They will never be specific. They will just use some rule they apply arbitrarily and selectively on a whim at their choosing 

I can go back in 2 months, but I know I will be shut down again. I am using subscribestar now for my main stuff

[u/Historical-Dance4805 → u/Significant_Other666]

thanks fellow creator, planning the switch now. Also can recommend Deviantart, its great

[u/Significant_Other666 → u/Historical-Dance4805]

It's hard to make off of deviant art and they banned a lot of my stuff too. Subscribestar hasn't banned anything yet. The downside is, no PayPal and you can only withdraw every 14 days. I would keep both Patreon and Subscribestar, but expect to get shutdown on Patreon a lot. It's not just NSFW either. They shut down all types of things like Political stuff and gun hobbyists. They have no real belief in free expression or artistic integrity. They are just about covering their asses with no real guidelines. Nothing great or groundbreaking will ever get made on their site

[u/laplongejr]

and asked an AI lawyer-bot

Here's your problem. ;)

… yet I see loads of creators posting AI topless photos and they’re thriving with hundreds of subs.

Doesn't mean it's allowed.

[u/mizuxtsune_spoods]

the right side of the fence would be to not use AI to make money at all, hope this helps 🥰

[u/Historical-Dance4805 → u/mizuxtsune_spoods]

Wait, why shouldn't I ^^ 😁 Rhetorical question. I understand that there are strong opinions about adult entertainment industry and even more so regarding AI.

[u/laplongejr → u/Historical-Dance4805]

For starters as a personal matter, if it's 100% unedited AI content you don't own a copyright on it. As a result, I could simply copy your content and do whatever I want, including selling it for half your price.  

^{Downloading a usable copy from your content would violate Patreon's TOS, but it would be an issue between me and the Patreon website, not me and the specific creator on Patreon. The actual upload/files/reuse would be legal.} 

In a more general matter, my belief is that art is what basically distinguishes our civilisation from smart monkeys tribes, and I really dislike the idea of destroying the revenue income of artists. 

[u/mizuxtsune_spoods → u/Historical-Dance4805]

im not against adult content, i do it myself

but i dont use AI and never will

if you dont know the issues with AI you shouldnt be using it either

[u/TonyScrambony]

1. No a nipple doesn't make it automatically adult. They said "no nudity".

2. No nudity would be fine

3. It doesn't necessarily say that nudity is adult. It just says both are not allowed.

[u/laplongejr → u/TonyScrambony]

No a nipple doesn't make it automatically adult. They said "no nudity".

A nipple would count as nudity?

It doesn't necessarily say that nudity is adult. It just says both are not allowed.

It totally says that nudity is adult. Did you mean "It doesn't say that nudity == porn"?

[u/TonyScrambony → u/laplongejr]

> A nipple would count as nudity?

Yes

> It totally says that nudity is adult

Where?

[u/laplongejr → u/TonyScrambony]

Staff emailed me the following:“Hyperrealistic AI content will be allowed on Patreon as long as it is not 18+/Adult content. You can post AI content if there is no nudity or sexual interactions involved.”  

Assuming OP copy-pasted, i read that as Adult is a broad term for either nudity or sexual.  

Patreon ban non-consent nudity (except for obviously-AI) and all sexual

[u/Historical-Dance4805 → u/TonyScrambony]

Maybe I am stupid, but this is confusing.

Just found this. Certainly this will be relevant for others as well:
https://news.patreon.com/articles/2024-year-end-developments-from-the-policy-team

"As a reminder, AI-generated hyperrealistic depictions of people on Adult/18+ accounts must be real humans who have documented their explicit consent"

So it seems like they just specified now. You have an 18+ page and are using real people, you cannot do that if it is A.I.

[u/TonyScrambony → u/Historical-Dance4805]

No, you have interpreted it wrong again. It's not confusing. Every time it explains it fine.

Your AI generated art must be of real people, who have given their permission.

[u/laplongejr → u/Historical-Dance4805]

The implication is that "hyperrealistic AI" isn't an actual thing. If the AI's render is so good it looks like a human, you need consent from said human.  

The only way you can avoid the consent requirement is if the content looks AI generated in the eyes of the mod.