The Men Behind Your Favorite AI Gay Thirst Traps

SECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuAccountAccountSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingVideoLivestreamsMerchSearchSearchEj Dickson CultureApr 24, 2026 5:30 AMThe Men Behind Your Favorite AI Gay Thirst TrapsA viral red carpet moment shone light on a group of hunky Instagram influencers—and the followers who are too horny to care that they’re not real.Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Getty ImagesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyWith his deep brown eyes, wide grin, and almost comically chiseled body, Pressure Release, which features a BDSM-inspired album cover, his back muscles rippling underneath a harness and chains. It’s an impressive online presence, and Jae’s fans eat it up: his comments are filled with fire and heart-eye emoji and people praising his music. It’s not until you go back to his profile and look at his bio, which says “Human mind. AI generated,” that you realize Jae isn’t real. His friends aren’t real. His music career isn’t real. Even his trip to Coachella isn’t real. Jae is the brainchild of Luc Thierry, a soft-spoken Canadian man in his early thirties who has been growing Jae’s account for the past few months. Even though he discloses that Jae is AI-generated on his profile, he says most of his followers ignore it or choose to pretend otherwise. “When I see people responding in a way that it