--- title: "Scientists Develop Head-Mounted Device That Detects When You Watch Porn" description: "Close those tabs! Scientists in China have created a prototype AI device that knows when a man is watching porn — by \"reading his mind.\"" date: "2022-06-24" modified: "2022-06-24" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/head-mounted-porn-detection-device" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "censorship" - "china" - "mind reading" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Develop Head-Mounted Device That Detects When You Watch Porn ![Close those tabs! Scientists in China have created a prototype AI device that knows when a man is watching porn — by "reading his mind."]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Porn AIppraiser For some unlucky folks, hitting "clear history" may no longer be enough. The [*South China Morning Post* reports]() that scientists in Beijing claim to have created a prototype device that monitors brain signals to detect when a man is watching porn. The purported headwear is designed to boost the productivity of professional Chinese content moderators, particularly porn-specific moderators. A totalitarian government using brain-computer interfaces to monitor its official censors? Totally not unsettling! ## The Great Firewall of China The allegedly porn probe — which, notably, is not the first [mind-reading technology]() seen in a Chinese workplace — is said to watch an appraiser's brain patterns. When the wearer sees explicit content, the gadget reportedly registers the spike in brainwaves, setting off an alarm. Pornography of any kind is technically illegal in China, and the country's censorship system — colloquially dubbed the [Great Firewall of China]() — works hard to scrub their internet of anything they consider indecent. Right now, China uses both humans and machines to censor their online world, but each have their limits: artificial intelligence makes algorithmic mistakes, and humans need, you know, snacks and sleep. The researchers told the paper that their porn-policing chapeau is intended to help appraisers and AI systems meet in the middle, providing greater speed and accuracy overall. But the developers' study, published in the Chinese *Journal of Electronic Measurement and Instrumentation*, showed some pretty significant gaps in the science. There was only a claimed 80 percent success rate, which isn't exactly conformational, and the test group included just 15 college-aged men (naturally). Plus, researchers weren't actually able to show participants any truly explicit images — due to current Chinese law, all pictures shown to test subjects had to already be censored, to a degree, via pixelation and black bars. To say that any tech that claims to read minds raises serious ethical questions is an understatement. But this disturbing-sounding device doesn't sound like it's there quite yet, so let's hope it stays that way. **READ MORE:** [*‘Mind-reading’ device to detect porn could speed China’s policing of illicit content, say researchers*]() **More on censorship in China:** [*Censors in China Are Having a Hard Time Silencing All the Rage Right Now*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()