The Rise of NSFW AI Chatbots: The Ultimate Explainer
The explosion of interest in AI and chatbots that began with the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 shows no signs of abating. AI start-ups are receiving huge backing from investors, and every month, new use cases for AI are being touted. One intriguing offshoot of this has been the emergence of NSFW AI chatbots.
NSFW is an abbreviation of Not Safe For Work. It is used when sharing content - images, videos, text or links - that may be deemed offensive or inappropriate and that you would not want to open in front of colleagues or other public settings. Nudity and graphic violence would fall under the NSFW banner.
AI chatbots are computer programs that use artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to understand questions or prompts from users and automate responses to them, simulating human conversation. They are widely used in customer support to answer questions about products and services.
In this article, I'll explore the combination of NSFW content and AI chatbots. I will explain what NSFW AI chatbots are, how they work and why people use them. I will examine the touted benefits of these chatbots, as well as the risks and drawbacks highlighted by this unusual technology. Let's begin by clarifying what exactly an NSFW AI chatbot is.
What is an NSFW AI chatbot?
An NSFW chatbot, similar to a regular AI chatbot, understands and responds to user questions and prompts in a human-like way. The critical difference is that NSFW chatbot responses are not filtered or restricted. They specifically cater to NSFW content.
AI chatbots like ChatGPT have filters that ensure their responses do not contain text that can be deemed offensive or sexual. NSFW AI chatbots bypass these filters, so you can engage in dialogue with the chatbot that is flirty or sexual in nature.
NSFW AI chatbots facilitate "sexting" between the chatbot and the user. Sexting is the sending and receiving of sexually explicit or suggestive messages through a messaging app or email.
Usually, sexting occurs between two consenting adults, like a married or dating couple. With NSFW AI chatbots, sexting occurs between a person and an AI-powered computer program.
How do NSFW AI chatbots work?
AI chatbots are trained on large amounts of text data, like books, articles and other forms of written language. The text data is used to teach the system to understand and process human language using an AI technique called natural language processing (NLP).
The chatbot uses this knowledge to interact with users in a human-like way. The AI models continuously learn from their interactions, making their responses more realistic and immersive over time.
Two key differences between AI chatbots & NSFW AI chatbots
1. Training data is uncensored
NSFW chatbots are trained with text data, the same as regular chatbots. However, the text used to teach them is uncensored. Erotic novels, dating guides and other sexually explicit texts are fed into the model so the AI can understand and process sexually themed language.
Because of this training on erotic or sexual content, when a person using a chatbot submits a question or prompt that is sexual in nature, the chatbot will recognise it as such. The bot will then be able to respond to the person using erotic or sexual words and phrases of its own.
2. Responses are not filtered
Chatbots like ChatGPT have filters built into them, so the chatbot will not reply to specific questions or prompts from users.
OpenAI's usage policy states their models, like ChatGPT, cannot be used for "Adult content, adult industries, and dating apps". This includes "Content meant to arouse sexual excitement, such as the description of sexual activity" and "Erotic chat".
NSFW AI chatbots do not include these filters. In fact, it's the complete opposite. Erotic chat and content meant to arouse sexual excitement is a vital part of the selling proposition for many NSFW AI chatbots.
The Growing Popularity: Are They Really a Trend?
Yes. Yes, they are. As bizarre as it may sound, the data shows a strong demand and interest in these chatbots. Not only that, the market has been growing exponentially throughout 2023.
Below is the Google Trend chart for the 12 months from August 2022 to August 2023. ChatGPT was released at the end of November 2022, starting an explosion of interest in AI and chatbots. You can see the lure of NSFW AI chatbots began at that time, too:
We also see this interest emerge in the traffic volume to individual NSFW AI chatbot sites themselves. The below screengrab from Similarweb shows 3.4 million visits to www.crushon.ai in July 2023. This was triple the 1.1 million visits to the site in June.
Note that this domain was only registered on May 26th 2023. So the site went from not existing to having over a million visits in its first month and over 3 million in its second month:
This is just one example of the exponential growth of these sites. Multiple NSFW AI Chatbot websites with one million+ visitors each month have only existed for a few short months.
Why Do People Use NSFW Chatbots?
There is a valid debate to be had on the benefits versus the risks of using these chatbots. However, whatever side of the argument you fall on, we need to look at the purported benefits these chatbots can provide to critique or support the claims.
To help us, let's look at the marketing material NSFW AI Chatbot providers use. Many providers touch on the topic of companionship and loneliness. The below is from the website of Nastia:
"Say goodbye to loneliness. Unfiltered chat, uncensored roleplay, human-like AI. You can chat with your companion about your day, your thoughts and feelings, and anything else on your mind."
Some are more explicit about what you can use their services for. Dream GF claims on their website:
"The AI chat that you have always dreamed of! Our AI girls are always available, in the mood and ready to satisfy even your wildest fantasies! And the best part is that you can talk about sex. Chat can get pretty dirty if you want it to! "
In an August 16th press release, CrushOn.AI introduced their product to the marketplace:
"Provides a safe and unrestricted platform for sexting with AI bots. Whether you're interested in an AI Girlfriend/Waifu or an anime persona, CrushOn.AI caters to all your preferences."
Most providers highlight themes of loneliness, companionship, self-expression, and self-discovery. The chatbots are touted as being confidential and non-judgmental so that users can discuss their feelings and thoughts without fear of the conversation going beyond the chatbot.
It is fascinating that these scenarios have been featured in AI-themed films over the years. The storylines of 2014's Ex Machina, starring Alicia Vikander, and 2013's Her, starring Joaquin Phoenix, explore what happens when humans develop emotional and sexual feelings for AI bots. Technology has advanced to the point that the issues raised in these films now need to be raised in reality, as millions of users flock to NSFW AI chatbots.
Ethical Concerns & Potential Risks
Unsurprisingly, the explosion of interest raises many questions and concerns over the use of these chatbots. A complete discussion in this article is impossible, but fundamental concerns include:
Moral Quandaries
Substituting AI for intimate human interaction raises profound questions about the essence of human relationships. Does a reliance on AI technology for emotional needs devalue genuine human connections?
AI does not understand or reciprocate human emotions. Is it fair to say people seek comfort in the illusion of intimacy provided by AI rather than through genuine human connections? If so, why do they feel they cannot find these real human connections?
Emotional Dependency
As NSFW AI chatbots become more sophisticated and their conversations more engaging, will people become emotionally dependent on them? Will the "controlled" environment of an AI relationship lead users to prefer this over the complexities and uncertainties of human relationships? Will this, in turn, lead users to reduce their social contacts, increasing isolation and the myriad of issues that it brings with it?
Societal Backlash and Stigmatization
NSFW AI chatbots are a complete departure from the norm. Users will face judgement and be labelled as societal outcasts for admitting to seeking intimacy with AI. Such a reaction could lead many users to have feelings of shame or guilt. Coupled with the underlying issues that drive people to pursue intimacy with a chatbot, these feelings can compound into significant problems.
Final Thoughts: The Human-AI Intimacy Frontier
The emergence of NSFW AI chatbots brings society's ever-evolving relationship with technology to an entirely new level. As AI infiltrates more areas of our lives, we must take stock and ensure we balance innovation with introspection. The lines between humans and machines are becoming very blurred. These NSFW AI chatbots compel us to grapple with profound questions about love, intimacy, and the entire human experience.