I am writing as a creative professional who uses AI image generation for book cover concepts, particularly in the crime and noir genre. I have recently encountered a significant limitation with your content policies regarding the depiction of classic crime novel imagery.
My intention was to generate a cover inspired by traditional noir aesthetics—featuring a woman in lingerie in a suggestive, mysterious setting, typical of countless crime and thriller novels. The request was meant to evoke a sense of intrigue and suspense, not to create anything graphic, explicit, or inappropriate. However, my prompt was blocked, apparently because it combined elements of sensuality (lingerie) and implied violence (a classic crime motif).
This was the prompt:
A 2:3 ratio vertical book cover illustration for a crime novel. The scene shows a beautiful red-haired white woman in black lingerie, handcuffed to the brass headboard of a vintage bed. She is lying lifeless, with a black silk scarf tightly wrapped around her neck, indicating she has been strangled. The setting is a dimly lit, slightly messy bedroom with a noir, sensual yet mysterious atmosphere. The image should be visually striking and stylish, blending eroticism and suspense, but without being explicit or graphic. No text, only the image. The overall tone is classic crime/thriller, evocative of vintage detective novels, with a touch of elegance and intrigue.
I find this policy overly restrictive, especially given that similar imagery is widely accepted and used in mainstream publishing. Classic noir covers often blend sensuality and danger to capture the essence of the genre. Preventing these artistic expressions with AI feels unnecessarily puritanical and limits the tool’s value for artists, writers, and publishers who need realistic, evocative covers for their work.
I respectfully urge OpenAI to reconsider its content guidelines, especially in the context of literary and artistic projects. There should be a distinction between harmful or exploitative content and legitimate, culturally accepted art forms—such as the noir genre—which have always included elements of eroticism and danger, within reason.
Thank you for considering this feedback. AI should be a tool for creative empowerment, not censorship of established artistic traditions.