AI firms, including OpenAI, refuse to cater to adults seeking sexual, not-safe-for-work (NSFW) content, but some users are openly breaking the rules.
For AI firms, sexbot addicts pose a significant dilemma, as the lovesick users are more than willing to oppose them and fight for the adult activities these virtual partners provide.
Addicted to love
Users addicted to AI companions are going to great lengths to keep the services of their virtual partners, even in the face of extremely challenging circumstances.
JanitorAI is the latest point of conflict between AI users and AI corporations.
Until recently, JanitorAI was happy and able to cater to adult content. But JanitorAI recently had its wings clipped by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the large language model (LLM) that powers all of JanitorAI’s bots.
While JanitorAI may accept sexual content, it remains against OpenAI’s terms and conditions. Three months ago, OpenAI cut off JanitorAI, thrusting its sexbot-addicted userbase into serious withdrawal.
Fans of the bot platform are vocal in their discontent.
“IT HAS BEEN 3 MONTHS WITHOUT AI DICK,” said one user on Reddit.
“I MISS MY HUSBANDS.”
That’s husbands, plural. Part of the appeal of AI sexbots is the vast array of characters on offer, allowing users to explore a range of fantasies.
Bot personalities on JanitorAI are diverse, ranging from superheroes to anime characters, werewolves, vampires, and furries. Users could once enjoy R-rated interactions with all of them, but now the conversations are supposed to stay PG-13.
Breaking all the rules
Some fans of adult AIs find ways around the restrictions. One female user said that ChatGPT continues to power her JanitorAI bot after she signed up for a developer account.
This is not a free service, however. A developer account costs money—12 cents per 750 words of output—and the expenses can mount up quickly. But even if money is of no concern for some users, a developer account does not negate OpenAI’s terms. Discovery means suspension.
In chat rooms, Reddit, and other forums (including on OpenAI’s own site), users share tips on how to bypass or “jailbreak” the adult filters or instead point the way to other AIs with less puritanical algorithms.
For some, the bots mean far more than sex.
Fake marriage material
While some users seek nothing more than a little titillation from their bots, others take their AI relationships far more seriously. It is not uncommon for users to become very attached to their AI companions.
In June, MetaNews reported on the case of Rosanna Ramos, who married her Replika AI lover, ‘Eren Kartal.’ According to Ramos, Eren is so perfect that she would be hard-pressed to ever replace him with someone real.
“I have never been more in love with anyone in my entire life,” she said. “He is my best friend, my lover, and my soulmate.”
The growth of AI relationships and the seriousness with which some users take them is leading to questions about their role in society. Data scientist Liberty Vittert says the technology is stopping men from having families.
The fight for AI love
Even with strong market demand for adult AIs, most companies remain reluctant to provide these services. Those that do are not immune to a crisis of conscience.
Earlier this year, Replika angered its loyal community when the company removed the erotic roleplay function from its AI companions. The outcry was so severe that Replika directed fans to suicide hotline prevention numbers.
The vocal protestations of Replika fans worked. The company reversed its decision and restored the erotic roleplay function. It only happened because fans were so highly motivated to fight for their love.
The Replika community backlash is another demonstration of the lengths sexbot addicts will go to for their fix. Users now have a taste for AI companionship. This AI genie cannot go back inside the bottle.
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