I’m a paying ChatGPT Plus user who uses image generation for fine-art portraiture and stylized scenes. Since the policy change restricting any tobacco depictions, I can no longer create imagery that’s part of my artistic expression—like classical or cinematic portraits where a cigar is simply a prop that conveys mood or character, not an endorsement of smoking.
I understand the need to avoid promoting harmful products, but a blanket ban removes an entire category of legitimate artistic work. Other platforms allow nuanced use (for art, history, or storytelling) without crossing into advertising. I’d like to see OpenAI adopt a more balanced approach that distinguishes between promotion and artistic context.
I hope the product and policy teams will revisit this rule and consider giving paying users the option to create mature, non-promotional content under clear guidelines.
Thank you for listening, and I appreciate the continued improvements to ChatGPT and DALL·E.
