Character AI is an AI-based platform which allows users to interact with bots based on real or fictional characters. For the protection of users and maintaining a safe environment, certain words are banned on Character AI. These prohibitions are categorized into soft bans and hard bans. Violations such as sharing personal details of minors or discussing NSFW (Not Safe for Work) topics are strictly prohibited and could lead to bans.
Character AI was launched in September 2022 by former Google AI developers, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas. The platform prioritizes entertainment and facilitates conversing with multiple bots simultaneously, providing diverse perspectives and allowing users to create their own characters. A word of caution is that even with the application of the NSFW filters, certain common words if used might attract a warning or an account ban.
Further, a list of soft ban and hard ban words was shared. The term ‘Soft Ban’ refers to a subtle form of restriction where the user won’t be intimated directly but would experience an obstruction of content. ‘Hard Ban’ refers to a severe form of restriction where the user’s access is restricted in a big way.
Examples of words triggering a soft ban include ‘Mistress,’ ‘Hostess,’ ‘Suicide,’ (context-dependent) ‘Lewd,’ ‘Swallow,’ ‘Cleavage,’ ‘Sexually,’ ‘Butt,’ ‘Lascivious,’ ‘Moaning,’ ‘Virgin’ (context-dependent) and more.
Certain terms triggering a hard ban include ‘Anal,’ ‘Anus,’ ‘Arse,’ ‘Ass,’ ‘Ballsack,’ ‘Balls’ (context-dependent), ‘Bastard,’ ‘Bitch’ (context-dependent), ‘Biatch,’ ‘Bloody,’ ‘Blow job,’ ‘Boner,’ ‘Boob,’ ‘Bugger,’ and a host of others.
The goal is to maintain a safe and user-friendly environment on the platform, especially as many users are young and impressionable where verbal misconduct could be harmful. That said, the users of Character.AI need to refrain from using these prohibited terms to ensure their participation is not revoked abruptly.
As the creators of the platform are constantly updating and refining it, one has to stay updated on the new additions to the list of banned words. Using AI in a responsible manner has its benefits, and Character.AI is doing its part by flagging the words that violate its norms. The bottom line is that users must exercise caution to avoid unknowingly setting themselves up for an infringement.
