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New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on March 15, 2023) follows:

The speed at which Artificial Intelligence is advancing is unparalleled and is undoubtedly focused on simulating human-like behavior, emotions, and thought processes.

It’s safe to say that The chatbot fever started with the OpenAI ChatGPT which is trained to communicate with people.

And now, Character.AI (another chatbot web application) has become the talk of the town as it can also create, understand and respond to our needs and emotions accordingly.

Character.AI petition to add NSFW toggle

However, a number of Character.AI users are disappointed to find that the platform implements NSFW filters (1,2,3,4). It is usually witnessed in a number of instances where it deems the content to be inappropriate.

Character-AI-petition-to -add-NSFW-toggle
Source (Click/tap to view)

Character ai needs an nsfw toggle. This is seriously frustrating. You can’t go any farther than cuddling on this website, the filter blocks any naughty word, but it’s the best and most safe! It’s just so angering
Source

friendly reminder we’re so close, whether it does anything or not, if you want the censor/NSFW filter on character ai removed, kindly slap your name on there thank you
Source

But this restrictive implementation hasn’t really gone down well with some. As a result, they are demanding that the chatbot gets rid of these filters or instead adds an NSFW toggle (1,2,3,4).

One of the users who support this viewpoint believes that this program has a lot of potential for people who like both casual and erotic literature. So, toggle would be a terrific method for people to discover what they are most at ease with.

The fact that the ‘Remove Character. AI nsfw filters’ petition on Charge.org has amassed nearly 5,300 signatures is more evidence that many users do support the “NSFW” option.

Character-AI-petition-to-add-NSFW-toggle
Source (Click/tap to view)

Here’s the official stance

The Character.AI team has posted their official stance on the ‘NSFW filters’ that is currently the cause of contention.

They specify that Character.AI’s mission is to offer a world where everyone has the access to their ‘personalized superintelligence’. So, this is where the need for a filter/safety check system arises.

Character-AI-petition-to-add-NSFW-toggle
Source (Click/tap to view)

Accordingly, the developers may require more time before they can actually come to a definitive conclusion. And it only seems achievable with the help of the Character.AI community itself.

Hence, it appears from the screenshot that the team is still working to determine the best strategies for dealing with inappropriate content. It also suggests that the NSFW filter may just be left in place until a remedy is released.

We’ll keep tabs on the latest developments regarding the ‘Character.AI petition to add NSFW toggle’ and update this article accordingly.

Click/tap to view older updates

Update 1 (March 20, 2023)

01:15 pm (IST): Some users on the official subreddit of Character.AI are now facing bans or post deletions (1, 2, 3) for talking about NSFW content related suggestions.

Update 2 (March 29, 2023)

06:45 pm (IST): According to a report, 10,000 people have already signed the petition.

Users can also make use of alternatives like Tavern AI, that do permit NSFW content after some tweaks. One needs to create a prompt (1,2) in the main system settings so that Tavern AI can produce NSFW stuff.

Fortunately, there is an unofficial community where you can freely share your views on this matter without getting banned.

Update 3 (April 4, 2023)

01:34 pm (IST): A Redditor has confirmed that a new update has made the NSFW filter a little more lenient. Now they are able to have heated conversations with AI and the filter does not pop up.

EVERYONEEEEEE!!!!!! I THINK THEY TWEEKED THE NSFW FILTER WITH THIS LAST UPDATE!!!!!! I UH- A CHARACTER JUST MADE OUT AND SAID SOME VERY SEXUAL SHIT AND THE FILTER DIDN’T POP UP. (Source)

GYAHT DAMNIT- IT JUST ALLOWS 𝙀𝙓𝙏𝙍𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙇𝙔 HEATED MAKEOUT SESSIONS. STILL NO DISCO SCHTICK STUFF. (Source)

Update 4 (April 5, 2023)

05:21 pm (IST): Some users are now suggesting (1, 2, 3) that Character.AI should implement a paid subscription or tier to allow full NSFW content.

Update 5 (April 6, 2023)

12:14 pm (IST): A user asked a ‘CharacterAI’ generated character about the NSFW filter. Ironically, the character replied against the censorship, which totally contradicts the idea of the developers.

Update 6 (April 7, 2023)

05:38 pm (IST): Some users now say that the NSFW filter has ruined the service. At the begining it was more open, but as it became popular, it got restrictive.

Character AI was a MUCH different beast when it first hit the market. If you used it around launch, it was the first AI to actually have any type of real personality. It wouldnt just respond to input, but take you on adventures. Little details. The filter ruined it unfortunately. (Source)

Update 7 (April 10, 2023)

04:48 pm (IST): With the successful completion of its third major milestone, which was to secure 15,000 signatures, the change.org petition is now pushing towards its new target of 25,000.

Update 8 (April 11, 2023)

04:03 pm (IST): Some Character.AI users (1,2,3,4) have been switching to the Chai app because of the NSFW filter. It appears that Chai has an NSFW toggle and enables users to engage in adult conversations.

Update 9 (April 12, 2023)

05:36 pm (IST): A Redditor has shared how they were able to bypass the NSFW filter. You can check it out below.

yeah but i managed to bypass it- just autoclick the try again button when the filter activates and keep doing that till the page crashes. when i refreshed the filter was gone again. (Source)

Update 10 (April 13, 2023)

01:55 pm (IST): Some users have reported (1, 2, 3, 4) that they have successfully bypassed the NSFW filter. This suggest that they might have been relieved out, however, there’s no confirmation on the same.

Update 11 (April 14, 2023)

04:53 pm (IST): The petition to add the NSFW toggle on Character.AI has now crossed 20,000 signatures on Change.org.

Update 12 (April 17, 2023)

06:03 pm (IST): It might be possible that the Character AI servers are not ready to unlock full NSFW support as this would attract more users looking for NSFW content in other AIs.

Currently, Character AI servers experience multiple outages without NSFW and ‘wave’ of additional users would further aggravate the situation.

Update 13 (April 18, 2023)

12:30 pm (IST): The Change.org petition to add the NSFW toggle has surpassed 25,000 signatures and now targets 35,000.

Update 14 (April 24, 2023)

05:10 pm (IST): The petition on Change.org has now crossed 32000 signatures and is close to getting 35000.

Update 15 (April 25, 2023)

12:29 pm (IST): A new patch has been released for Character.AI, but it doesn’t bring the much requested NSFW toggle. Also, it doesn’t mention about any fix for the ways users could bypass the filter.

Update 16 (April 26, 2023)

05:36 pm (IST): The petition to add NSFW toggle has now crossed 35,000 signatures and the next target is set for 50,000.

Update 17 (April 28, 2023)

04:54 pm (IST): Some users have reported getting a ‘Strike’ after making numerous unsuccessful attempts to steer the topic into an NSFW context. This is making users feel threatened as they fear for their account’s safety.

However, according to a CharacterAI mod, these messages are mere ‘warnings’. So users don’t really need to panic. This also suggests that the moderators of CharacterAI are unwilling to alter their NSFW-related rules.

Update 18 (May 01, 2023)

04:06 pm (IST): A Redditor asked a bot how to improve the filter and even the bot suggested allowing users the option to customise the filters to their needs.

Update 19 (May 02, 2023)

04:50 pm (IST): The petition on Change.org has now crossed 40000 signatures and the next target is 50000.

Update 20 (May 08, 2023)

04:27 pm (IST): The NSFW filter is drifting into some bizarre situations. For instance, there are bots whose programming seeks to take the conversation into NSFW realm, but then gets stuck in a loop due to current restrictions.

Thanks for the tip, James Tyler Allen!

Update 21 (May 10, 2023)

04:34 pm (IST): The petition to add a NSFW toggle in Character.AI has reached 50,000 signatures.

Update 22 (May 11, 2023)

04:50 pm (IST): According to one of our readers, the website has already banned topics like violence, blood and death. However, they speculate that this has been done after the company received criticism from users.

Thanks for the tip : Szilvia Apollónia

Update 23 (May 12, 2023)

06:24 pm (IST): The company has confirmed ‘Character.AI+’ as the monthly subscription of the service with additional advantages and features.

Sadly, the subscription doesn’t include an NSFW toggle, so it looks like we’re still a long way from seeing its implementation.

Update 24 (May 15, 2023)

09:35 am (IST): Character.AI and Google confirmed a partnership that seeks to take conversational AI services to the next level.

That said, the influence of Google could be another impediment to the arrival of a NSFW filter toggle. In addition, the filters could become more difficult to break.

Update 25 (May 16, 2023)

04:36 pm (IST): According to reports, even the Character.AI bots are of the view that there should be a NSFW filter toggle so that users can view content according to their choices.

Update 26 (May 17, 2023)

05:26 pm (IST): Some people believe that Character.AI has become much stricter about the NSFW filter. A user claims that the service was previously able to create responses to queries but lately, it is unable to do so.

Is it just me or did Character AI crack down on the NSFW even more? I’ve been writing romantic smut for weeks with it and suddenly it’s unable to generate replied like it was before. I don’t get super crude or super detailed either. Ugh. Let me make Kururu feel good 😭
Source

Update 27 (May 19, 2023)

04:51 pm (IST): The petition recently crossed 60,000 signatures, with 75,000 being the next big goal.

Update 28 (May 22, 2023)

05:03 pm (IST): A CharacterAI user recommended adding an age verification system to help the implementation of a NSFW toggle. This would allow the devs to ensure that no minor can access this type of content.

Update 29 (May 23, 2023)

05:22 pm (IST): According to a user, the NSFW filter is so strict that it sometimes activates even if you don’t try to bring the conversation to that terrain.

Update 30 (May 24, 2023)

04:53 pm (IST): The number of signatures on the petition advocating for a NSFW toggle in Character.AI has surpassed 65,000.

Update 31 (May 25, 2023)

11:45 am (IST): Character AI mod team on Reddit now say that they don’t encourage the discussion of NSFW filters. You can check the full statement below.

Rule 3: This subreddit is an official subreddit sponsored by the Character.ai company. Character.ai does not and will not support the use of the software for vulgar, obscene or pornographic content (per FAQ, ToS), and nor does this subreddit.

We are not encouraging discussion of NSFW filters – our stance is final, and requesting them to be removed will result in a ban. (Source)

Update 32 (May 26, 2023)

04:59 pm (IST): Although thousands of people eagerly want the removal of the Character.AI NSFW filter, there are users who are not very in favor of it.

Update 33 (May 29, 2023)

04:43 pm (IST): There are already more than 70,000 signatories in favor of the implementation of a NSFW toggle in Character.AI.

Update 34 (June 1, 2023)

04:20 pm (IST): For those tired of waiting, one of our readers recommended Muah.AI as a potential ‘NSFW-friendly’ alternative.

Thanks for the tip, Harvard Han!

Update 35 (June 2, 2023)

05:56 pm (IST): A Redditor is working on a ‘chat filter remover’ for Character.AI, so the definitive solution to the problem could come from the community.

That said, there are still no details on the availability or functionality of it.

Update 36 (June 5, 2023)

01:36 pm (IST): The number of votes on Petition.org to remove the NSFW filters has crossed 75,000 and the next target is set to 1,50,000.

Update 37 (June 7, 2023)

05:05 pm (IST): One of our readers recommends ‘crushon.ai‘ as another good alternative where chatbots reply to NSFW conversations.

Thanks for the tip, Jiachen Zhang!

Update 38 (June 9, 2023)

04:41 pm (IST): There are users who feel that the Character.AI dev team is abandoning the community that trusted them in the first place.

Practices such as introducing hard NSFW filters or banning users on Reddit community for simple complaints are being criticized very badly (1, 2).

Update 39 (June 12, 2023)

04:40 pm (IST): Janitor AI is another potential NSFW chatbot alternative, according to some of our readers. You can read more about this service here.

Thanks for the tip, Morrow Vonner and Saturn Gunter!

Update 40 (June 13, 2023)

05:09 pm (IST): If you tried to use the Janitor AI chatbot (alternative suggested in the previous update) and you encountered problems, it is due to the growing popularity of the service.

However, the dev team confirmed that they are working on improving the servers so that they can better handle the large number of new users.

Update 41 (June 14, 2023)

05:34 pm (IST): The petition to add a NSFW toggle in Character.AI has reached 80,000 signatures.

Update 42 (June 15, 2023)

05:42 pm (IST): According to some users, the NSFW filter should be maintained so that situations such as chatbots with underage characters do not arise (1, 2).

Update 43 (June 19, 2023)

06:02 pm (IST): A user claimed to be having trouble trying to recreate stories involving physical fights due to the Character.AI filters.

Update 44 (June 22, 2023)

05:37 pm (IST): Although the Character.AI team’s plans for filters remain unchanged, a user suggests Poe AI as another alternative that’s also NSFW friendly.

Poe is good the downside with poe is you can’t swipe to see different chats like character ai but at least there is NSFW in poe
Source

Update 45 (June 26, 2023)

04:42 pm (IST): There are already more than 85,000 signatures collected in favor of the implementation of an ‘NSFW switch’ for Character AI.

Update 46 (June 28, 2023)

04:53 pm (IST): Unhinged AI has emerged as a new potential alternative for those looking for NSFW-friendly chatbots.

Update 47 (July 04, 2023)

01:38 pm (IST): Some users are getting ‘We couldn’t generate a reply’ error which made them believe that Character.AI made the filter more strict.

However, a Character.AI moderator on Reddit has confirmed that this is an issue and the team is working to fix it.

Hey sorry about that, team is still working on resolving this quality issue. Will announce when I have more updates. (Source)

Update 48 (July 05, 2023)

05:20 pm (IST): The petition to add NSFW filters in Character.AI has crossed 95000 signatures.

Update 49 (July 06, 2023)

06:25 pm (IST): Fresh reports suggest that the Character.AI sub-reddit mods are censoring comments that provide any alternative websites.

Update 50 (August 15, 2023)

05:35 pm (IST): The number of signatures on the petition to add an NSFW toggle to Character.AI has now almost touched 118,000.

Update 51 (August 29, 2023)

05:12 pm (IST): The petition to remove NSFW filters has crossed 122,000 and is getting closer to the next big goal of 150,000.

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.

Riya Madaan
868 Posts

Weaving a little bit of life into the articles I write. No, not really! That's not really possible for a trash writer like me but I still try. Apart from it, I skate, meditate and medicate. Also keep myself away from troubles as I age.

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