This is so tedious. If you have a point, then make it. Stop asking inane questions.
So do people in images that are purely AI generated exist, or not?
This question is based on a false premise, as though the technology used to create an image is relevant to what it depicts.
- If michaelangelo paints the likeness of a model, does the model in the image exist?
- if a child draws a stick figure likeness of their dad, does the dad in the image exist?
- if you take a photo on your phone, and it uses complex mathematical algorithms to compress and later render the image, do people in those images exist?
- if you run a filter over that image on your phone, does that person still exist ?
Of course in all cases, for all intents and purposes the depicted person exists. You can argue that a painting is just an arrangement of pigments on canvas and you would be correct, but to everyone else its still a picture of a specific person.
If you use a computer to generate an image that "looks like" a school-mate doing whatever thing, then an argument that the person in the picture does not exist because the image was generated by AI is moot, because for all intent's and purposes it's a "picture of" that school mate doing that thing.
For the love of everything holy. This is not how grown ups discuss things. Make your point and stop asking dumb questions.
As you well know, no one is directly harmed by the simple act of someone viewing AI generated porn which does not depict a real person.
That said, the law in my jurisdiction does not discern between real or not. If it's an image (even hentai) depicting sexual abuse against a minor then it's CSAM. How do you know if the depicted person is a minor? That's a question for a jury. I'm sure there are arguments against this position, but it's merits are obvious. You don't need to quibble over whether an image depicts a real person or not, if it's CSAM then it's illegal.