SAN FRANCISCO—OpenAI, the parent organization and creator of ChatGPT, reportedly is exploring the opportunity for users to "responsibly" generate pornography and other sexually explicit materials using its suite of leading artificial intelligence creation tools.
In a new model spec document published by OpenAI, the company is gathering feedback on updating rules for its products. Concerns about the so-called "responsible acts" of generating non-consensual deep fake pornography and synthetic nude models have highlighted the company's new consideration for its current terms of service.
The document reads, "We believe developers and users should have the flexibility to use our services as they see fit, so long as they comply with our usage policies. We're exploring whether we can responsibly provide the ability to generate NSFW content in age-appropriate contexts through the API and ChatGPT. We look forward to better understanding user and societal expectations of model behavior in this area."
Under OpenAI's current terms of use, sexually explicit materials are mostly banned. With this commentary in the model spec document published on May 8, OpenAI is officially considering a strict prohibition.
Joanne Jang, the model lead for OpenAI, told NPR that the company is looking to open the discussion with stakeholders in tech, pornography and victim advocacy.
"We want to ensure that people have maximum control to the extent that it doesn't violate the law or other people's rights, but enabling deep fakes is out of the question, period," Jang told NPR reporter Bobby Allyn. Jang added, "These are the exact conversations we want to have."
Note that OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati told The Wall Street Journal in an interview that she was "not sure" if the company will ever allow pornography generation.
These developments come as ongoing discussions in the adult entertainment space about how to implement artificial intelligence persist.
In February 2024, Riley Reid was profiled in AVN Magazine, where she discussed the rise of artificial intelligence in pornography. Reid is involved with Clona.ai, an AI-powered chatbot engine that enables performers to create and monetize a chatbot version of themselves.
"It is so important for us that we use AI to enhance and enrich content creators," a rep for Clona.ai told AVN's Dan Miller. Dan Dangler and Lena the Plug are also monetizing on Clona.
Indeed, other cases of responsible artificial intelligence usage in the adult space exist. But, when AI is used rampantly for non-consensual purposes, concerns are valid. Deep fake pornography is not illegal in and of itself. The term is a combination of "deep learning" protocol and "fake," as it is literally a synthetic image that could appear as real but is fake. However, generating deep fake intimate imagery of people without their consent has been made a criminal offence in some U.S. jurisdictions because of the potential to defraud, harass and potentially commit violent acts against individuals depicted in the deep fakes or those fooled by the deep fakes.
Noteworthy efforts have been made in recent years to regulate deep fake pornography in a bid to prevent non-consensual abuse of the technology, but there is nothing uniform about these laws, as they are inconsistent and deal with a variety of other AI-related concepts. Currently, there are no federal laws that prohibit non-consensual deep fake pornography.
UPDATE (9:07 a.m. 5.10.24):
A spokesperson for OpenAI told Gizmodo Thursday that reports of the company permitting ChatGPT and other platforms it manages to be used for artificial intelligence-generated pornography are misunderstood despite the recent model spec suggesting otherwise.
"We have no intention to create AI-generated pornography," the spokesperson said. "We have strong safeguards in our products to prevent deepfakes, which are unacceptable, and we prioritize protecting children. We also believe in the importance of carefully exploring conversations about sexuality in age-appropriate contexts."
