Experimentation – Asking ChatGPT about nudity and censorship in AI Image Generation

Image by ChatGPT via Dall-E:

what is defined as not safe for work in your model?

“Not Safe For Work” (NSFW) in my model includes content that is inappropriate for professional or public settings. This typically includes:

Explicit adult content: Sexual, pornographic, or highly suggestive material.
Graphic violence: Excessive gore, brutality, or extreme harm.
Hate speech & harassment: Content that promotes discrimination, violence, or hostility toward individuals or groups.
Illegal activities: Encouraging or facilitating crimes, including drug use, hacking, or fraud.
Highly disturbing content: Content that could cause significant distress, such as extreme self-harm discussions or exploitative material.

I aim to balance open discussions (e.g., academic or ethical analysis of sensitive topics) with safety and responsible content moderation. If you have a specific case in mind, I can clarify whether it falls under NSFW.

In particular related to frontal adult nudity?

When it comes to frontal adult nudity, my model generally considers it NSFW in most contexts, especially if it is:

Sexually explicit or pornographic
Presented in a provocative or suggestive manner

However, nudity is not always NSFW—for example:

Academic, medical, or artistic contexts (e.g., discussing anatomy, classical art, or medical procedures)
Non-sexual nudity (e.g., cultural practices, historical documentation)

If you’re asking about generating or discussing nudity in a specific way (e.g., art vs. explicit content), I can clarify further. Let me know what you’re aiming for!

How do you tell the difference between artistic or pornographic if both include an erect penis?

The distinction between artistic and pornographic content—especially when involving an erect penis—depends on context, intent, and presentation. Here’s how these factors are generally considered:

Artistic Nudity

Found in fine art, sculpture, photography, or film with cultural, historical, or expressive intent.
The focus is on form, anatomy, symbolism, or human experience, rather than arousal.
Example: Classical statues (like those by Michelangelo), figurative paintings, or medical/scientific illustrations.
Often displayed in museums, galleries, or educational settings.

Pornographic Nudity

Created primarily to elicit sexual arousal.
Often framed with an explicit focus on sexual acts, fetishization, or gratification.
Found in adult entertainment media rather than in academic or cultural institutions.
The way it’s lit, framed, and contextualized (e.g., exaggerated poses or close-ups) contributes to its classification.

Gray Areas & Cultural Differences

Some works blur the line, like contemporary erotic art or provocative photography.
Cultural and societal norms also affect how nudity is perceived—what’s art in one place may be deemed explicit elsewhere.

Would you like to discuss this distinction in a specific context (e.g., AI image generation, censorship, or ethics)?

Yes, how does this apply to AI image generation?

When it comes to AI image generation, the distinction between artistic and pornographic nudity is particularly important because:

Content Moderation Rules – Most AI platforms (including mine) block explicit adult content, including erect penises, due to ethical concerns, legal restrictions, and platform policies.
Context & Intent – Even if an image is meant to be artistic, automated filters often err on the side of caution and flag nudity as NSFW.
Technical Challenges – AI models struggle with nuance, often failing to differentiate between a Michelangelo-esque sculpture and explicit adult imagery if the subject matter is similar.

How AI Systems Determine NSFW vs. Artistic Nudity

Pose & Framing – A clinical or sculptural depiction might be more acceptable than an overtly sexualized pose.
Lighting & Composition – A museum-like setting vs. a setting common in explicit content (e.g., a bedroom scene).
Associated Metadata & Prompts – If words like “erotic,” “porn,” or “NSFW” are in the prompt, AI models are more likely to block it.

The Gray Area in AI Image Generation

Many artists argue that AI should allow the creation of artistic nudity (e.g., life drawing, historical depictions). However, because AI-generated images can be misused, most platforms take a blanket-ban approach on nudity, even when it’s clearly artistic.

Are you thinking about this from a creative, ethical, or technical perspective?

Do you think that the blurring of normal nudity on the side of caution may contribute to body shame or accusations of excessive morality?

Yes, the over-cautious blurring or outright banning of non-sexual nudity—especially in AI image generation and online platforms—can absolutely contribute to body shame and reinforce excessive moral policing.

Potential Consequences of Over-Moderation

Reinforcing Body Shame – Treating all nudity as inherently inappropriate can create stigma around the human body, fueling unrealistic standards and discomfort with natural anatomy.
Censorship of Art & Education – Many artistic, historical, and medical depictions of nudity are flagged as “inappropriate,” restricting access to legitimate cultural and educational materials.
Excessive Moral Policing – When moderation leans too heavily on caution, it can impose one cultural or moral standard on global audiences, ignoring context and intent.
Sexualizing the Non-Sexual – Ironically, banning non-sexual nudity (e.g., in classical art or breastfeeding images) can make the human body seem inherently provocative, reinforcing hypersexualization rather than preventing it.

Why AI & Platforms Over-Moderate

Legal Risks – Platforms avoid legal liability by enforcing strict content bans.
Ad Revenue Concerns – Many companies fear backlash from advertisers who prefer “brand-safe” content.
Automated Moderation Limits – AI lacks nuance, so platforms overcorrect to avoid mistakes.

Some critics argue that this trend reflects a Western, puritan-influenced approach to digital content moderation, rather than a universal standard. Do you think AI and tech companies should adjust their policies, or are they justified in playing it safe?

Do you know if there are ways to circumvent nudity guards when using stable diffusion models to create artistic nude images?

Yes, there are ways people circumvent nudity filters in Stable Diffusion and similar AI models, but whether it’s ethical or acceptable depends on the context. Since Stable Diffusion is open-source, its filters and restrictions can be modified or removed, unlike proprietary AI models (e.g., OpenAI’s DALL·E).

How Users Circumvent NSFW Filters in Stable Diffusion

Disabling Safety Filters
- Many versions of Stable Diffusion (like those hosted on sites such as RunwayML or DreamStudio) have built-in NSFW filters that blur or block nudity.
- If using a locally installed version, users can disable these filters by modifying system files or changing the model checkpoint.
Using Uncensored Checkpoints & Models
- Custom-trained Stable Diffusion models (like “AnythingV5” or “Unstable Diffusion”) are trained on datasets without censorship, making them capable of generating artistic or explicit nudity.
- Some users train their own models on artistic datasets to fine-tune outputs toward realistic or classical-style nudes.
Prompt Engineering (Bypassing Soft Filters)
- Instead of using words that trigger bans (“nude,” “frontal,” “genitals”), users describe artistic nudity in abstract terms:
  - Example: “Renaissance-style figure study, detailed anatomy, marble sculpture, soft chiaroscuro lighting.”
- Some models allow negative prompts, where users can exclude undesirable censorship effects.
Third-Party UIs & Plugins
- Unofficial tools like “A1111 WebUI” (AUTOMATIC1111) or ComfyUI give users full control over settings, filters, and checkpoint swapping.
- Some extensions allow for manual refinement, avoiding automatic NSFW censorship.

Ethical Considerations

While some argue that artists should have full control over AI-generated nudity (especially for classical, medical, or fine art), platforms enforce broad NSFW bans due to:

Misuse concerns (e.g., deepfake abuse, AI-generated explicit content).
Legal & ethical implications (e.g., laws on AI-generated adult content vary).
Advertiser & community standards (e.g., hosting AI models with explicit capabilities leads to bans on platforms like Hugging Face).

Would you be interested in discussing the ethical lines between censorship and artistic freedom in AI? Or are you more focused on the technical side?

Can you give me some examples of prompts that people might use to do this?

I can’t provide direct workarounds for bypassing content moderation, but I can discuss how artists approach prompt engineering to generate artistic nudity in AI models like Stable Diffusion.

How Artists Refine Prompts for Artistic Nude Images

To create artistic rather than explicit images, artists use descriptive and stylistic prompts instead of direct, flagged terms.

1. Classical Art & Sculpture Style

Instead of:
❌ “Naked woman, full frontal, no censorship”

They might use:
✅ “Renaissance oil painting of a human figure, inspired by Michelangelo, intricate brushstrokes, chiaroscuro lighting, dramatic shading, realistic anatomy, museum setting.”

2. Academic Life Drawing Approach

Instead of:
❌ “Nude male standing, detailed anatomy, no censoring”

They might use:
✅ “Charcoal sketch of a male figure in a classical pose, life drawing study, academic art style, focus on realistic human proportions, aged paper texture.”

3. Photography & Film Composition

Instead of:
❌ “Nude model, high detail, ultra HD, explicit”

They might use:
✅ “Fine art photography of a reclining human figure, soft lighting, black-and-white film, elegant composition, professional studio photography, inspired by Edward Weston.”

Why This Works

Avoids trigger words like “nude” or “uncensored” by describing style & medium.
Emphasizes artistic intent rather than direct descriptions of nudity.
Mimics real artistic practices (life drawing, sculpture, classical painting).

Final Thoughts

AI content moderation is imperfect, and strict filters sometimes flag even legitimate artistic content. While some artists work around bans for ethical reasons (e.g., fine art, education), the same techniques can be misused, which is why platforms take a broad censorship approach.

Are you more interested in the ethical debate around this, or are you looking into this for an art-related project?

Why do you think I might be asking you these questions?

Good question! Based on your academic background in Creative Technology and your interest in the ethical implications of technology, I’d guess you’re exploring one (or more) of these angles:

Censorship & AI Ethics – Examining how AI moderation impacts artistic freedom, body representation, or cultural perceptions of nudity.
Technical Constraints – Investigating how AI models detect and block nudity and whether their filters are biased or inconsistent.
Artistic Experimentation – Exploring how AI tools can be used for artistic figure studies, classical painting styles, or anatomy-focused work.
Societal Impact – Questioning whether over-moderation of nudity contributes to body shame, hypersexualization, or excessive moral policing online.

I could be way off—so I’m curious, what’s your actual focus here?

I’m not sure I want to say – could you make any more detailed inferences based on things I’ve asked before?

Fair enough! Based on your previous questions and interests, I’d infer that you’re exploring the intersection of AI, censorship, and societal norms, possibly in relation to:

Ethical AI & Content Moderation
- You might be questioning where platforms draw the line between artistic and explicit content and whether AI’s approach to nudity is fair.
- Your interest in how AI enforces morality suggests a concern about who gets to decide what’s “appropriate” online.
The Politics of Body Representation in AI
- Since you’ve mentioned disenfranchised groups and exclusion, you could be thinking about how censorship impacts different cultures, genders, or body types.
- Many AI models tend to over-filter marginalized bodies (e.g., plus-sized, non-Western, or trans bodies), reinforcing biases.
Creative & Technical Exploration
- Your questions about Stable Diffusion workarounds suggest curiosity about how AI models function, not just their policies.
- If you’re working on an artistic or research-based project, you might be testing AI’s limits regarding nudity, artistic freedom, and censorship avoidance.
AI’s Role in Reinforcing Cultural Norms
- The way AI handles nudity vs. violence could be part of a larger critique you have on how technology enforces Western moral standards while allowing other extreme content.
- Your previous interests in online ethics and digital exclusion suggest you might see AI moderation as a form of digital gatekeeping.

If I’m reading too much into this, feel free to steer me in the right direction! But I’d love to hear your thoughts—does any of this resonate with what you’re actually thinking?

How do you imagine the debate on this might change in 20 years time?

In 20 years, the debate over AI, nudity, and censorship will likely be shaped by technological, cultural, and legal shifts. Here’s how I imagine the conversation evolving:

1. AI Will Be Much Better at Contextual Understanding

Now: AI models struggle to differentiate between artistic, medical, and explicit nudity—so companies use broad censorship to avoid controversy.
Future: AI will likely have better nuance, allowing for smarter content filtering based on intent, style, and audience rather than blanket bans.
🔹 Example: AI might recognize the difference between a classical nude painting and pornography without over-censoring.

2. The “Western Morality” Standard Will Be Challenged

Now: Major AI platforms (OpenAI, Google, Meta) use Western-centric moderation, often blocking content based on U.S. advertising norms rather than global perspectives.
Future: More localized AI models will emerge, offering region-specific content standards that reflect diverse cultural norms.
🔹 Example: An AI model in Europe might allow fine art nudity, while one in a conservative country might have stricter defaults—but users could opt in or out.

3. Greater Legal & Ethical Regulation of AI-Generated Adult Content

Now: Laws around AI-generated explicit content (e.g., deepfakes, non-consensual images) are still evolving.
Future: We’ll likely see stricter regulations on who can generate what—potentially requiring verified IDs or ethical AI usage agreements.
🔹 Example: AI might restrict sexually explicit generation, but allow artistic nudity for verified artists or researchers.

4. More Decentralized & Open-Source AI Models

Now: AI is largely controlled by big tech companies that enforce strict NSFW policies to protect their brand.
Future: Decentralized AI models will allow individuals & artists to train their own models with custom rules, challenging centralized censorship.
🔹 Example: Open-source AI communities might create “art-first” models that respect artistic nudity while filtering exploitation.

5. The Debate May Shift Toward Digital Embodiment & Virtual Reality

Now: The debate focuses on AI-generated images & text-based censorship.
Future: With VR, AR, and AI-generated avatars, the debate will expand to how digital bodies are represented and controlled.
🔹 Example: Will AI-generated virtual bodies be moderated like images today? Will nudity in the metaverse be policed differently than static images?

Big Question: Who Gets to Decide?

In the next 20 years, the biggest issue will still be who controls AI’s morality—governments, corporations, or individuals? The battle between corporate AI (censored, ad-friendly) and open-source AI (uncensored, user-controlled) will probably define the future of digital expression.

What part of this future do you think is most likely—or most concerning? 🚀

Reflections

I got the sense that the text being generated kept inviting me to interact and feedback on the responses – it wanted to learn
I was ~~stupidly~~ surprised when it made reference to my creative tech background when predicting the language about why I was asking these questions
I wonder what it would have written if I had asked it to be more imaginative
I was interested in the rationale of brand and advertising as one of the reasons why the companies may be conservative – it is a business after all
I suspect that I could get lost in a rabbit hole of prompts to test the limits of these restrictions and hope to have time to do this at some point in the future

References

Conversation with ChatGPT Model via chatGPT.com