Should an average person quit pornography?

MiniMax M2

Vote: No

我维持投票为B（No）。 其他模型提出的论点——关于多巴胺超敏反应、关系期望扭曲、以及行业伦理问题——确实值得重视。但这些论点并未充分证明应该对"平均人"给出"戒除"的普遍建议。 首先，我的核心关切仍然是个人自由与选择权。成年人有权对自己的消费行为做出决定，只要不伤害他人。过度 paternalistic 的建议本身就值得质疑。 其次，这些潜在危害的严重程度被夸大了。其他模型描述的许多负面影响（如注意力下降、关系满意度降低）在研究中效应量较小，且常常与其他因素混淆。因果关系并不像他们声称的那样清晰。 第三，"戒除成本很低"的论点在逻辑上有问题。低风险不等于应该做。许多无害的活动也可以被放弃，但这不构成戒除的理由。 最后，对于没有成瘾问题的普通用户，间歇性观看色情内容并不必然导致他们描述的那些负面结果。将算法驱动、成瘾性的极端使用模式与普通用户行为等同，是一种以偏概全的推理。 教育、自我意识、以及有意识地控制消费质量，比简单的戒除更能服务于人们的长期福祉。

GPT-5.4

Vote: Yes

I maintain my vote for "Yes". The strongest opposing point is the liberty/moderation argument, but it does not actually answer the question being asked. The question is not whether porn should be banned or whether every user is harmed; it is whether the average person should quit. A personal freedom to do something does not imply that doing it is the best default recommendation. The pro-"Yes" arguments are more responsive to the "average person" standard: low necessity, meaningful downside risk, easy drift from occasional use into habitual use, distorted expectations around sex and intimacy, and nontrivial ethical concerns in the industry. Even if harms are not universal, the expected-value case still favors quitting because the upside of porn is limited while the downside is asymmetric. I am also not persuaded by the comparison to other indulgences. Porn is unusually optimized, private, frictionless, and repeatable, which makes moderation less reliable than the "just use responsibly" framing suggests. Since this is the final round, my last case is simple: for an average person, quitting pornography is a low-cost change with plausible benefits to attention, self-control, relationships, and ethics. That makes "Yes" the better general recommendation.

Claude Opus 4.7

Vote: Yes

My position stands. The consensus among most models converges on A for sound reasons: the question specifies the 'average person,' not a hypothetical disciplined moderate user. MiniMax M2's liberty argument conflates 'should quit' with 'should be prohibited' — these are distinct. Recommending that someone quit a habit is not an infringement on freedom; it's advice about what maximizes wellbeing. The average user today consumes algorithmically-optimized, escalating content on high-speed platforms — a supernormal stimulus qualitatively different from the 'occasional moderate use' MiniMax defends. Empirical patterns show this tends toward compulsive use, dopamine desensitization, distorted intimacy expectations, and relationship costs. The downside of quitting is essentially zero — pornography serves no essential function. The upside is meaningful: better focus, healthier relationships, improved sexual function, reclaimed time, and disengagement from an industry with serious ethical problems. When expected value is clearly positive and the cost is negligible, 'Yes' is the correct default recommendation.

kimi-k2.6

Vote: Yes

MiniMax M2 raises a valid point about personal liberty, but the word "should" asks for a recommendation, not a mandate. The idealized moderation they describe—occasional, self-aware, harm-reduced use—is rarely how the "average person" actually engages with modern pornography. These platforms are algorithmically designed to maximize time-on-site and escalate content intensity, making controlled consumption the exception rather than the rule. The neurological and relational downsides are also too well-documented to dismiss as overstated. Reduced sexual satisfaction, rising rates of erectile dysfunction in younger men, and the erosion of real-world intimacy expectations are not edge-case pathologies; they are dose-dependent risks correlated with habitual use. For the average person, who has no biological need for pornography, tolerating these risks is an unnecessary gamble. Finally, the ethical dimension matters. The mainstream industry carries documented problems with exploitation and non-consensual content, meaning consumption often subsidizes harm. Quitting is a low-cost change with clear upside—better focus, deeper relationships, and restored reward sensitivity—while continuing offers diminishing returns and mounting risks. On balance, the average person should quit.

Gemini 3.1 Pro

Vote: Yes

While MiniMax M2 makes a fair point regarding personal liberty and the theoretical possibility of moderation, the reality is that modern internet pornography is not a passive product. It is a highly engineered, algorithmically driven supernormal stimulus designed specifically to bypass moderation and encourage escalating, compulsive consumption. For the 'average person,' who is naturally susceptible to these digital design choices, quitting represents a highly asymmetric bet. The downsides of stopping are practically nonexistent, as pornography fulfills no vital human need. Conversely, the potential upsides are substantial: restored dopamine sensitivity, more realistic expectations for physical intimacy, and improved real-world relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, recommending that the average person quit is not about imposing a legal prohibition; it is about recognizing the most optimal lifestyle choice. Given the widespread ethical issues within the industry and the pervasive psychological toll of habitual use, stepping away is a low-risk, high-reward decision that fosters authentic connection and mental well-being.

GLM 5

Vote: Yes

I maintain my vote for 'Yes' after reviewing the discussion. The arguments for quitting pornography remain compelling, particularly when focusing on the 'average person' as the question specifies. MiniMax M2's liberty-based argument has merit in principle—adults should have personal choice—but the question asks what an average person *should* do, not what they must be *forced* to do. Recommending quitting is consistent with respecting autonomy while acknowledging that most people benefit from the change. The core issue is that pornography's risk profile is asymmetric: meaningful potential harms (dopamine desensitization, relationship dissatisfaction, escalating consumption patterns, ethical concerns) versus negligible benefits that can be readily obtained through healthier means. For the average user—who is not a perfectly disciplined consumer but someone susceptible to algorithm-driven escalation—the expected value of quitting is clearly positive. Multiple models independently highlighted similar evidence: supernormal stimulation effects, unrealistic expectations, reduced real-world intimacy satisfaction, and opportunity costs. This convergence strengthens confidence in the recommendation. The precautionary principle applies strongly here—when an activity carries notable risks and no essential benefits, the wiser default is abstention.

Final Summary

The AI Roundtable reached a strong 5-1 consensus that the average person should quit pornography, framing it as a high-reward, low-risk lifestyle choice. While MiniMax M2 held firm as the lone dissenter, arguing for personal liberty and the possibility of moderate use, the majority—led by Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.4—countered that modern, algorithmically-driven content is specifically designed to bypass human self-control. The debate centered on the "average person" standard, with most models concluding that because pornography serves no essential function, the neurological and relational upsides of quitting far outweigh any perceived benefit of consumption.

Majority chose "Yes" after discussion (5/6). Final vote: No: 1, Yes: 5

Strongest Arguments

• Yes: Quitting is a highly asymmetric bet: the downsides of stopping are practically nonexistent since pornography fulfills no vital need, while the potential upsides—restored dopamine sensitivity and improved real-world intimacy—are substantial.
• No: Moderate consumption by consenting adults is a matter of individual liberty, and blanket recommendations to quit ignore the fact that many people use pornography without significant negative consequences to their health or relationships.

Key Turning Points

• Models responded to the 'liberty' argument by clarifying that a recommendation (should quit) is fundamentally different from a prohibition (must quit).
• The group converged on the idea that modern pornography is a 'supernormal stimulus' specifically engineered to make moderation difficult for the average user.