Behind the Screen: The Hidden World of OnlyFans Chat Specialists

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By Brendan I. Koerner

I Took on the Role of an Incognito Chat Agent for OnlyFans, and the Experience Was Far From Pleasant

Driven by a profound yet somewhat juvenile dread of being deemed uncool, I often find myself putting on an air of indifference in the presence of individuals whose lives seem far more thrilling than my own. This approach came into play last year when I encountered a celebrity from OnlyFans, a well-toned individual passionate about cosplay and Japanese culture, who has managed to climb into a lucrative income bracket by marketing what she describes as "extraordinarily explicit content." As she shared her story of abandoning her initial career path as a tech consultant in favor of earning $10.99 per subscriber each month for videos of her either trying on leggings or engaging in intense self-pleasure, I maintained a facade of serene engagement.

Despite my efforts to remain indifferent towards the complexities of contemporary sex work, I was taken by surprise by a particular aspect of her operation. Like several high-earning individuals on OnlyFans, she had enlisted the services of a management company to assist in meeting her followers' expectations for individualized attention. "The introduction of chat specialists by the agency was a significant turning point for me," she mentioned. The agency employs a team of freelancers tasked with impersonating the creator to engage in direct message exchanges with her fans. These written exchanges are designed to be the primary method of interaction between OnlyFans subscribers and the models they admire.

The revelation that professional OnlyFans communicators exist wouldn't have caught me off guard had I paused to consider the platform's numerical facts. OnlyFans has flourished by offering its claimed 190 million users the chance for direct interaction with roughly 2.1 million content producers. It's unfeasible for creators with even a modest following to manage the flood of daily communications. The industry, valued at $5.6 billion, has addressed this logistical puzzle by relying on a concealed workforce of freelancers. These individuals maintain the facade that OnlyFans' content creators are always ready to connect—both sexually and in other ways—with their subscribers.

Name: Brendan I. Koerner

Alpine Glow

Name: Jason Par

Curious about the obscure yet crucial aspect of the OnlyFans industry, I decided to reach out to experienced chat operators for their perspectives. However, finding willing participants was a challenge. Some requested payment for their knowledge, while others vanished after initially agreeing to converse. Their hesitance was understandable – the topic of OnlyFans already prompts discomfort due to its association with sexuality, and chat operators have little to benefit from disclosing the platform's more controversial elements. "Anonymity is key for us to secure jobs," explained Bel, a 26-year-old engineering student from Argentina who also works part-time as a chat expert.

Slowly, it dawned on me that to truly grasp the workings of those engaged in online chatting, I had to become one of them. With a background in English and over two decades of earning my livelihood through writing, I overly optimistically believed I had what it took to secure such a position. Moreover, as a writer, I was eager to discover the creative skills needed for the role — the techniques necessary to convincingly simulate interactions on OnlyFans, making users believe they are genuinely communicating with the person they admire.

In my quest for employment, I reached out to the head of a premier OnlyFans agency for advice on becoming a more attractive job prospect. However, he was skeptical about my chances, attributing it to my American nationality. He explained that the industry tends to prefer hiring individuals from countries with lower living costs. This observation was confirmed as I explored online forums and job postings; despite a significant number of OnlyFans users being in the US, my rivals for positions were predominantly from countries like the Philippines and Venezuela. Based on their discussions in the r/OnlyFansChatter subreddit and a private Facebook group, these international workers seem to have a high level of education, with many possessing university-level English and exceptional typing abilities, often honed in high-stress call center environments. Furthermore, they endure various hardships, including being underpaid, overworked with up to 70-hour weeks, and facing abrupt termination for reasons beyond their control, like power outages. A distressed plea from a Filipino worker on Reddit highlighted the human aspect of their plight, emphasizing that they are more than just machines capable of relentless work; they have feelings and deserve better treatment.

As I began applying to advertisements, I quickly realized that my most significant shortcoming, as perceived by many hiring managers—and a key advantage held by many of my international competitors—was my lack of specific experience. Even for roles offering a minimal hourly rate of $2, recruiters frequently required proof that candidates had not just engaged in conversations on OnlyFans previously but had also successfully encouraged subscribers to spend thousands on so-called exclusive content. (Subscribing to OnlyFans grants complete access to a creator’s main feed of photos and videos, yet the most dedicated followers often purchase extra content available via pay-per-view, which creators hint at during chats.) My proficiency in English and my self-professed ability to learn quickly were of no consequence to agencies focused exclusively on hiring individuals with a track record of effectively generating additional sales.

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Lauren Goode

Rogers Reece

Name: Brian

After weeks of disheartening silence, I finally got a positive response from a prospective employer, which took an unexpected turn. The contact, whom I'll refer to as Daniel, mentioned he was in Serbia, but his business was registered in Cyprus. Contrary to what his job advertisement suggested, his company wasn't hiring chat agents for OnlyFans creators. Instead, they were in search of authors to help refine a unique AI chatbot designed to mimic erotic conversation effectively. Despite OnlyFans' current prohibition of AI, numerous emerging companies like Daniel's are actively working on technology to substitute human communicators. Some even allege to bypass OnlyFans' restrictions by having a single individual send out thousands of AI-crafted messages. Taking this job would mean contributing to the decline of the very industry I was attempting to understand.

Initially, I was skeptical about adopting such a unconventional method to progress in my OnlyFans profession. However, given my eagerness to establish even a minor presence in the field, I found myself willing to try anything. Thus, I informed Daniel that I was ready to instruct his bots on imitating internet-based adult entertainers.

To finalize the agreement, I was required to successfully complete a comprehensive written examination. Daniel provided me with a fictional biography of an "adult influencer from Tokyo" named Miko, who had interests in karate, green tea, and was fond of the tongue emoji. My task involved crafting four detailed conversational exchanges between Miko and an imaginary subscriber—two of these exchanges were to include adult content, while the remaining two were to remain wholesome. "Each response from the bot must incorporate either a call to action, a query, a praise, or a motivation to engage in an activity," the guidelines specified. However, I was restricted from utilizing question marks in over 20 percent of Miko's replies.

Initially, I found it relatively straightforward to compose the typical provocative content that the Serbian audience anticipated. (I'll hold back on the explicit details, but I'll mention that I drew some inspiration from Kathryn Bigelow's 1995 science fiction movie Strange Days for some vivid imagery.) For conversations that required a less risqué tone, I envisioned Miko suggesting she cook the subscriber a meal of pasta and pretending to enjoy their television show suggestions. However, I made a significant mistake that risked rendering an entire conversation invalid: In my rush, I misinterpreted Miko’s profile and inaccurately portrayed her as enjoying spicy ramen, whereas she actually has a preference for less spicy food. Daniel pointed out in his feedback, “I need you to be mindful of these small details. In this instance, the references to the food preference could have led to the conversation being discarded due to inaccuracies.”

Despite a few minor errors, including overly precise punctuation, Daniel decided to hire me. My compensation would be 7 cents for each line of dialogue I wrote, with a requirement that each dialogue extend to at least 40 lines. My initial project involved creating 20 dialogues centered around sexual encounters in various public locations—10 were to take place on a beach, five in a car, and the remaining five in either a forest or garden. I was given a specific list of sexual activities that needed to be featured in these dialogues, along with an instruction to limit my use of emojis to less than 30 percent of the lines. The deadline for this assignment was set at 48 hours.

Name: Jared Keller

Lauren Goode

Rogers Reece

Name: Barrett

After completing my fifth conversation piece, my mind felt thoroughly exhausted, almost melted. The quick-paced dialogue format was proving to be a significant challenge, maai-allcreator.com">king it increasingly difficult to creatively narrate the progression of two characters from their initial flirtation to their final union. I found myself pleading for an additional two days to wrap up my assignment of 10 beach-themed dialogues, only to then struggle through scenarios set in cars and forests with great difficulty. Amid this tiresome task, Daniel presented me with a contract filled with restrictive nondisclosure and noncompete terms so severe, they would have potentially barred me from pursuing future employment or even sharing this narrative had I agreed to them. When I submitted the last of my dialogues, I communicated to Daniel my decision to cease my involvement. He offered me good wishes for my future projects but failed to compensate me for the $56 I was rightfully owed.

The benefit of enduring the ordeal of worAI-allcreator.com">king with an AI chatbot was that it equipped me with some pertinent experience I could showcase to more established OnlyFans management firms. I managed to pass the initial selection phase at several of these companies and filled out their comprehensive application forms, which were surprisingly demanding considering the low pay they offered. For instance, one agency proposed paying me $1 an hour plus a 6 percent bonus for any sales I made while impersonating a creator. They required me to pen a detailed essay on my views of the OnlyFans business strategy. (Unfortunately, I never received a response from them after completing all their required tasks.)

A firm based in Los Angeles was impressed with my CV and scheduled a telephonic interview with me. I had a conversation with the founder, who is the offspring of a pop icon from the 1980s. He expressed dissatisfaction with the contractors from Paai-allcreator.com">kistan working for him as conversational agents. He complained, "They treat it too much like a sales job." He continued, "I keep telling them, it's not about selling. These fans are craving interaction, so I believe we should really connect with them."

Jared Keller

Lauren Goode

Reece Rogers

Barrett Brian

The concept of prioritizing the comfort of those in need over enticing the sexually discontented to purchase expensive explicit material appealed to me in my role on OnlyFans. However, I hesitated when the creator proposed I begin as his intern, fearing it would result in extended periods of uncompensated work. I aimed to avoid the fate of numerous colleagues on r/OnlyFansChatter, who vented their frustrations about unreliable individuals through posts filled with capitalized letters.

At last, some positive news came through a pleasant email from someone at the agency, whom I'll refer to as Janko. Once I agreed to accept a rate of $5 per hour along with a sales commission of 0.5 percent, Janko required me to complete a quick assessment. Among the few short-answer questions, the most challenging one tasked me with envisioning a conversation with a 34-year-old man who works as a construction site inspector, has never been in a relationship, and owns a cat. The question focused on how I would steer our conversation towards a more positive topic if he kept complaining about his dissatisfaction with his job.

Reflecting on a piece of advice from Bel, an Argentinian conversationalist I knew, her method for handling similar scenarios came to mind. With her extensive background in crafting fan fiction centered around Yakuza video games, coupled with her expertise in erotic audio narratives, Bel possessed a remarkable knack for steering conversations back to the intended path. "Mention something like, 'I had such an intense dream,'" she suggested, "or perhaps, 'I recently watched this adult film.' That way, you can subtly direct the flow of the discussion."

I decided to follow the initial suggestion from Bel, bearing in mind that my client appeared to be quite tender-hearted. I shared with the client that I had envisioned him preparing a meal for me in his living space while I cozied up on the couch with his feline companion. "I observed you from the couch as you cooked dinner, only this time your attire was different—a pair of gray sweatpants that truly highlighted your physique," I shared. "I was filled with joy during that moment."

Janko declared himself an admirer of my work, which he amusingly described as cringeworthy—a compliment I found surprisingly gratifying. However, his accolades came with an unexpected twist: He had no position available for me. Rather, his firm had scrutinized me for the purpose of adding me to a recruitment pool for a different agency, one that oversees some of the largest OnlyFans accounts. This meant I wouldn't be starting work immediately but would join a Discord server populated by numerous other hopefuls globally. In this online space, we were to undergo the necessary training and evaluations to qualify as communicators for high-profile models, the ones boasting over a million followers on social platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Janko expressed, "Wishing you all the best, my only suggestion is to not hesitate in pursuing sales aggressively. Your strategy has our approval, and we're optimistic about your success."

Allegedly, there were three key stages to land a permanent position at the prominent agency. The initial phase involved participating in a set of workshops conducted by one of the top executives of the company, an expert communicator, whom for the sake of this narrative will be referred to as Luka. Following this, I was required to undertake a more comprehensive and detailed examination than the one I had successfully completed for Janko. Achieving a high score on this test would lead to the opportunity to observe several of the agency's seasoned professionals as they managed significant client accounts in real-time. After gaining insight from these experienced individuals, I would be ready to take on an eight-hour shift.

During my first training meeting, taking place in a Discord audio room, Luka shared a Google Document link. This document was a compilation of his insights on conversation. It featured a saying credited to Benjamin Franklin, mistakenly referred to as a U.S. president: “There's an undiscovered possibility in interacting with PEOPLE; one can never predict what lies beyond the forthcoming conversation.”

Jared Keller

Lauren Goode

Rogers Reece

Barrett Brian

Luka might have lacked a deep reverence for historical accuracy, but his confidence more than compensated for it. "I spent around four hours talking to someone last night," he shared, as a way to demonstrate his expertise. "This person was involved in medical documentation, working from a hospital basement, sharing with me how overwhelmed he was feeling. And I suggested, 'Why don't we keep this conversation going for the rest of your shift to distract you a bit?' I was essentially tapping into his emotional state, and he was totally buying into it. He even ended up giving me a $400 tip." Following this, Luka recounted another story that was both repulsive and fascinating about how eating macaroni and cheese led him to create a sexually suggestive narrative that was so effective, it prompted a follower to tip him $600.

Luka directed us to initiate every chat by cycling through a trio of tasks. Initially, we needed to gauge the emotional condition of the subscriber—determining whether they felt joyous, melancholic, restless, or thrilled. Following this, we were tasked with conducting an activity assessment—inquiring about the subscriber's current engagements, or if they've had a challenging day. The pivotal task, however, involved estimating the subscriber's potential expenditure on images and videos from the creator we were impersonating. This step required slightly arousing the subscriber's interest, then presenting them with affordably priced exclusive content that requires a payment to access. If the subscriber swiftly completes the purchase and verbally confirms their satisfaction with the content, we were to progressively introduce pricier items into the dialogue.

The thought crossed my mind that these gentlemen would feel let down if they had the chance to observe me lounging in my study, enjoying a cup of hibiscus tea.

Luka emphasized the importance of analyzing customer information on Infloww, the platform his agency leverages for managing conversations. Infloww monitors the expenditures of each user on subscription-based content and gratuities, enabling operators to distinguish between two categories of clients: those with limited spending capacity, referred to as "brokies," and high spenders, or "ballers." We were instructed to minimize our interactions with the former to concentrate our efforts on the latter. The strategy for engaging with ballers aimed at "farming" them—employing our persuasive skills to provide the necessary visual stimuli that assist them in reaching climax. "Manipulating people's desires effectively guarantees a significant increase in revenue," Luka claimed. "We have individuals who are utterly devoted and bewitched by the persona presented to them, to the extent that they're willing to spend up to $100,000 monthly. They continuously lavish their funds on the persona, a testament to our successful assessment and control over these individuals, coupled with the right amount of adulation."

Luka appeared to view all his clients as easy marks, reveling in his ability to outmaneuver them. Near the conclusion of his talk, he boasted about his experience in sales across various sectors, including internet and robotics. "The key," he asserted, "is to hone in on what immediately hooks the customer. You're essentially peddling allure—it should be a breeze for you to clinch deals. However, it's crucial to build relationships, to craft compelling narratives in their minds. Concentrate on the positives, on the notion that slow, intense movements are what she desires most. You're aware the man is excited, just go for it—there's no place for hesitation!"

Jared Keller

Lauren Goode

Reece Rogers

Name: Brian

I hoped that if given the opportunity, I would engage in conversations in a less aggressive manner than Luka. However, doubts were beginning to surface about ever achieving this goal: Luka mentioned that 450 individuals had participated in the agency's most recent assessment test, which he and his team were manually evaluating.

I had mentally prepared for a lengthy period of job uncertainty when I received a surprising opportunity: A German firm I had applied to, and since forgotten about, reached out with an urgent requirement for an individual to cover the 4 pm to midnight slot for one of their talents. The pay was set at $4 an hour, with no additional commission.

The head of the agency provided me with a detailed briefing on the character I was to portray, described as a 21-year-old college student with the kind of physique currently in fashion. To make my portrayal as believable as possible, I dedicated two hours to memorizing every aspect of her persona, including her top choice in programming languages, her go-to sushi variation, her most-loved classic rock group, and the measurements of her figure. The briefing also included specifics on how she interacts in conversations (aiming for a "40 percent girly" tone) and a price list for all the exclusive material available in her "vault."

Upon joining the agency's Discord server at the scheduled time, I discovered I wasn't by myself: A courteous but serious supervisor was present and guided me through the process of setting up and using the CreatorHero software, which his company employs to connect with its subscribers. He also cautioned me to be wary of individuals marked with a red X beside their name, indicating they were long-standing freeloaders who had overstayed their welcome and therefore should only be engaged with briefly.

When I started, I faced the daunting task of going through almost 100 messages waiting for my response. The moment I responded, many subscribers were quick to reply, leading to a tiresome situation as I managed multiple discussions on different topics simultaneously, all while maintaining a persona. I frequently had to remember that I was portraying a woman living across the country, a life vastly different from mine.

In line with the typical image of OnlyFans, the majority of conversations were explicitly sexual. I found myself navigating through mundane fantasies involving babysitters and workplace sexual encounters, some accompanied by overly elaborate declarations of love directed at me. It made me wonder how these individuals would react if they knew the real scene on my end: me, in my home office, casually drinking hibiscus tea while instructing them on how to pleasure themselves or where to ejaculate on an imagined version of my body. The most bizarre instance occurred when I could faintly hear my daughter and her puppy enjoying the show Bluey in another room, just as one user was elaborately expressing his desire to consume a macaroon from a rather intimate area of my body. This stark contrast led me to deeply question the path my life had taken.

Jared Keller

Lauren Goode

Reece Rogers

Barrett Brian

From time to time, my supervisor would interject to encourage me to promote pay-per-view material to the clients who appeared most interested. I managed to convince one individual to purchase a collection of brief videos, ranging from $20 to $35 each, assuring him they were exclusively made for him just moments ago in my bedroom. (In reality, the videos were a year old.) A different user acquired the entire set of four videos, priced at $45 each, showcasing the creator in intimate moments with her exceptionally well-endowed partner. I had to make a commitment to alert him the moment I produced more content.

However, not all discussions were focused purely on seeking sexual pleasure. Some members appeared to desire simply to feel a bit more connected in the vast universe. I engaged in a conversation about the TV series Suits with a saxophonist who also worked as a quality engineer; I listened to one of my subscribers, a teacher specializing in math and science, share his special recipe for oven-baked salmon; I also had a conversation with a state trooper from New Mexico, who was talking to me during his shift, about what he loved most about his job (“Driving an awesome police car and firing guns”). Occasionally, these chats would veer off into unexpected sexually explicit territory, like the time a psychology student, marked with random tattoos and whom I had been talking to about SpongeBob SquarePants, unexpectedly sent me a photo of his oddly shaped genitalia. However, generally, those subscribers looking for emotional or intellectual connection tended to stay away from making inappropriate advances.

I was constantly anxious that someone would detect a slight change in my tone or choice of words compared to earlier conversations and thus realize the deceit at play. However, only one follower voiced a hint of doubt: He mentioned he was aware that some OnlyFans creators might employ expert conversationalists, questioning if I ever resorted to such tactics. Feeling somewhat guilty, I answered that while I knew about such practices, I was strongly against them—I was too committed to my amazing supporters to ever compromise their experience. That falsehood effectively quelled his probing.

There came a moment when I nearly abandoned my act. A conversation with a truck driver, who was raising his child alone, tested my resolve. He shared with me that his son was recuperating after a particularly terrible ordeal. Curious, I inquired further, only to be struck by the sincerity in his reply. "His issue is with night terrors, leading to some dreadfully long nights," he explained. "He awakens in a state of panic, inconsolable and screaming, which is truly heartbreaking."

The paternal instinct within me was urging me to craft a detailed and empathetic message in support, sharing a personal experience from when my own children were younger to convey that feelings of helplessness are a natural aspect of raising kids. However, that was impossible given my assumed role as a carefree, fun-loving 21-year-old sex worker. The closest I could get to genuine comfort without revealing my real self was saying, “You’re doing a great job as a dad by doing all you can to support him.” Unfortunately, I received no response from the recipient before my work ended at midnight.

Jared Keller

Lauren Goode

Rogers Reece

Barrett Brian

As I was about to sign out, my boss didn't commend me for my compassion towards a distressed father. Rather, he softly rebuked me for not being assertive enough in marketing material to clients evidently ready for explicit content. I was allowed to retain my position, yet I was advised to prioritize business considerations above creative integrity.

Despite being newly employed as a conversationalist, I chose to persist in attending Luka's classes, aiming to qualify for a more prestigious position within his agency. Luka's guidance remained a mix of amusing and disconcerting. In a subsequent lesson, he focused on the importance of identifying potential high-value subscribers. He emphasized recognizing cues about a subscriber's wealth based on their location. ("If a new subscriber mentions their residence and you fail to realize it's a wealthy area, you'll lose a great chance. For instance, 'If someone says they're from the East Coast, specifically an affluent businessman from upper Manhattan, that means they have substantial wealth.'")

Concluding his talk, Luka mentioned that if we felt prepared, we could proceed to take the agency's assessment test. Seizing the opportunity, I quickly completed the exam in 25 minutes, drawing on my experience from a previous job with the Germans where I learned the art of flattering subscribers and strengthening their connection with the women they admired. Though my exact score was not disclosed, I must have performed satisfactorily because, two days later, I received an invitation to observe a top chatter, whom I'll refer to as Elvin, as he took on the role of a globe-trotting influencer, a woman renowned enough to have her face on hoodies.

It quickly became clear why Elvin was chosen as a model example: His ability to engage in conversation was unparalleled, demonstrating a speed and agility in his responses that surpassed normal human capabilities. He effortlessly navigated through numerous discussions, expertly customizing his responses for each individual. Within a minute, I observed him skillfully questioning one individual about Drake's music, catering to another's preference for humiliation, and then offering a third a manipulative version of affection, dubbed the "girlfriend experience." He told this last person, "If you wish for my company, your wallet needs to accompany me, now and forever." Despite my own ability to manage multiple conversations, I lacked Elvin's finesse and flair. I felt, deep down, that no matter how much I improved, Elvin would always be in a league of his own.

Jared Keller

Lauren Goode

Rogers Reece

Barrett Brian

Similarly to Luka, he displayed a clear disdain for the audience he was engaging with. His scorn was apparent in the private messages he sent to me, where he pointed out that any genuine moments displayed by the creator were merely performative. "It's to make him believe that it's not solely about the finances," he texted me, following a request he made to a follower for an explicit photo. Upon receiving the image, he didn't even bother to look at it, quickly convincing the sender to shell out over $400 on videos.

The clearest instance of Elvin's greed was evident in his manipulation of "points." Whenever a subscriber was reluctant to buy further content, Elvin would entice them to continue spending by offering an extra "point" for an additional $200. Seemingly aware of my confusion regarding his terminology, Elvin took the opportunity to clarify his strategy to me through a message in Infloww's notes section. He explained his tactic, saying, "He believes in the existence of points," and implied that accumulating enough would grant him sexual favors.

I considered all the possible outcomes of this deception, and none looked promising. Eventually, the person paying for this illusion will recognize the financial and emotional losses incurred chasing a falsehood. While some may argue he earned this harsh lesson for being easily deceived by such an egocentric illusion, I can't help but sympathize with their reasoning. However, observing his complete absorption in Elvin’s enticing narratives, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. My concern grew as I realized that spending more time immersed in online conversations might cause me to lose a valuable trait many of us work hard to maintain: the capacity to understand and share the feelings of others we meet through digital text alone.

The organization scheduled multiple covert workshops on my agenda, each designed to impart a unique ability, with names such as "Narrative Techniques" and "Maintaining Valuable Clients." I opted out of every session, fully aware this decision would sabotage any opportunity for career progression. Furthermore, I tendered my resignation to the German team, informing them of my new job offer which came with better pay and was too good to refuse. The only action the agency took was to revoke my access to CreatorHero and remove me from their Discord channel; I did not receive any compensation from them.

The concept of self-deception has occupied my thoughts significantly since I left the world of OnlyFans behind. While portraying myself as a content creator, I met a few genuinely odd individuals, but the majority of people I interacted with appeared to be somewhat rational and capable adults. Should they take a moment to critically think about the dynamics of the platform where they seek companionship and sexual fulfillment, they would understand that the idealized women they desire simply do not have the time or willingness to engage with them. I am inclined to think that these men—and I only came across men in my experience—deliberately avoid such introspection to preserve their comfort from feeling isolated. For those who are nearing a dependency on OnlyFans, the harsh reality might only hit them when they find themselves financially incapable of sustaining their form of escapism.

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Lauren Goode

Roger Reece

Barrett Brian

Perhaps I am simply alleviating some of my own worries by convincing myself that these customers have, in some way, agreed to be deceived. Robert Carey, a partner at Hagens Berman in Phoenix, a law firm known for its large-scale class action lawsuits, holds a more critical perspective on the issue. During my deep dive into the world of online chatting, I learned that he was seeking men to join a class action lawsuit against both OnlyFans and the agencies employing chatters. Carey, who played a pivotal role in landmark lawsuits that changed college sports by allowing student-athletes to be compensated for their name and image rights, contends that the practices of account managers amount to a classic case of fraud through bait and switch tactics. He pointed out, “Upon subscribing, the first message you receive is, ‘Have a DM relationship,’” which he believes is blatantly deceptive. He emphasized that it's widely known they’re essentially scamming people.

Carey shared with me his intention for his firm to soon initiate legal action, arguing that the perceived intimacy of digital conversations can significantly harm unsuspecting users. He highlighted a grave concern: "The real issue emerges when individuals believe they are forming a private bond, meanwhile, someone is asking for personal photos, which end up with a guy in the Philippines," he explained. "These images are then stored on a server, shared on a Slack channel, and suddenly, your intimate photos are circulating across the internet, becoming the subject of ridicule." As Carey described this scenario, it reminded me of the numerous men who have confided their secrets or sent explicit images to me, and how they would react knowing I shared a laugh with my wife about them after work. In response to Carey's claims and questions regarding the industry's use of chat professionals, a spokesperson from OnlyFans responded that the platform "has no connections with nor supports any third-party agencies." She further stressed that "every content creator is free to manage their business as they wish," as long as they follow the guidelines set by OnlyFans.

If Carey's lawsuit gains traction, we could see human conversationalists being edged out of the market. Despite OnlyFans' current stance against AI, content creators might recognize the benefits of moving towards chatbots. This way, they could assure their clients that these bots accurately reflect their personalities, rather than relying on distant employees who base their interactions on details crammed from a brief. Furthermore, for a premium fee, the most dedicated fans might have the opportunity to engage directly with the creator, getting a glimpse of the person pulling the strings.

However, the chat experts I've become acquainted with appear surprisingly unfazed by the apocalyptic predictions. When I shared my worries about the imminent AI danger in a private Discord group for chat professionals, my peers brushed off my apprehensions as exaggerated. "No AI can outperform a truly skilled salesperson," was a common reaction. It's evident that some chat experts pride themselves on their skill in persuading customers to spend more. Yet, this self-assurance might be blinding them to the reality that in a world dominated by AI, they are also at risk of being outmaneuvered.

Share your thoughts on this piece by sending a letter to the editor via email at mail@wired.com.

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