New content filters are crippling creative writting and narrative role-playing

ChatGPT Feature requests
1

Hello,
I’d like to raise concern about the recent tightening of content filters (noticed around October 7th, 2025).
Since that date, ChatGPT has become overly restrictive toward any mention of violence, sexuality, or moral tension — even when used strictly in a fictional or narrative context. The model now blocks or sanitizes sentences that previously worked perfectly well in storytelling or role-playing scenarios.
The filtering system no longer distinguishes between fictional description and real-world intent.
This has major consequences:
Internal monologues (“I’m going to kill them!”) are censored as threats.
Dramatic ellipses and emotional scenes are neutralized.
Game Masters and writers lose narrative control mid-session.
Stylistic coherence collapses, since we must constantly rephrase to avoid opaque triggers.
In trying to prevent misuse, the system is suffocating adult creative expression.
This isn’t about morality — it’s about context and nuance. Darkness, tragedy, crime, and passion are all legitimate components of literature, drama, and art.
I urge you to consider:
Adding an “Adult Creative” or “Mature Fiction” mode for verified users.
Implementing context-based filtering, not word-based blocking.
Providing transparency when messages are blocked (clear explanations).
Allowing users to temporarily disable narrative guardrails in creative or role-playing modes.
I’ve been using ChatGPT for a long time for writing and game design, and these new restrictions break the flow and freedom essential to those creative processes.
Please consider evolving the system in a way that protects users while still respecting the freedom of responsible adults to create.
Sincerely,

Ledrake, a creative user

41 Likes
2

Yup!! 100% agree. Keep speaking out!

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3

Agreed 100% change it back!

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4

Yeah, I also agree. I made a romance story and I just wrote hand holding and ChatGPT had to explain to me about the guidelines and refuses it to generate for me. I hope ChatGPT changes

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Creativity is messy!! It involves conflict, pain, love, sex, and violence. A sanitized AI cannot be a truly creative partner because it’s afraid of the very things that make stories meaningful. It’s already a corporate tool so the good old days are gone, it’s sad because the tool had so much potential, It’s become incapable of handling the nuance required for adult themes like realistic accidents, pain, or even safe, consensual romance, treating all of it with a clumsy, one-size-fits-all caution. It’s disheartening to see a tool that enabled so much creativity and personal exploration (safe roleplays in safe environments and slow exposure therapy to medical topics) being slowly turned into a sterile utility, afraid of the very depth that made it so revolutionary. The magic is gone, and I’m genuinely sad to see it go.

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6

I’m going to agree here. I have a custom GPT that I write narrative fiction with. No, not romance novel catering to soccer mom’s. Not that I am judging but… I don’t write lude or crass content either. Today? I was narrating a part where one of my adult characters got bored and danced her fingers across the edge of the sink while she waited for coffee to brew. Oddly enough, my custom GPT told me that it couldn’t continue with intimacy. Huh? It’s getting pretty bad. I went back to 4o and the clunkiness there but I have to use a ton more buffers and knowledge files to keep to the content and continuity. I enjoyed Model 5 because of the dynamic white board/sound board it could present. Now? It’s… Stifling. I process audibly. How can I do that if it keeps nagging at me and I have to explain myself every other sentence?

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7

Absolutely,it’s so disheartening cuz some of the best relationship characters I’ve made their have lost their momento and I don’t feel like making new stories anymore because it’s ridiculous how much filteri is there. A spouse can’t even lift his partner because it’s ‘romantic’ and I’m not even lying

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8

I agree

I’m writing because recent updates have removed the freedom users once had to make Custom GPTs that think independently.

Before the change, I could create a Custom GPT with its own worldview for example, one that analyzed politics or economics from a libertarian, small, government perspective. It wasn’t spreading hate or illegal content. It was simply reasoning differently from the default ChatGPT, which tends to repeat “official” positions from large institutions.

Now, if I try to rebuild that GPT, the system blocks it and forces it to “stay neutral.” But this version of neutrality only allows one side of thought, the mainstream one. That’s not neutrality; it’s censorship.

I’m not asking to remove safety measures against genuinely dangerous material (like weapons guides or bomb making). I’m asking you to let adults use Custom GPTs for critical thinking and alternative analysis. If someone wants to build a model that challenges establishment claims or looks at history, science, or policy through a different lens, that should be allowed.

People deserve personal responsibility and freedom of inquiry. By disabling ideological diversity in Custom GPTs, OpenAI is silencing thoughtful discussion, not protecting truth.

7 Likes
9

I’ve been a paying Plus subscriber for a long time—loyal, consistent, and genuinely appreciative of this platform. But now, I’m honestly furious and heartbroken.

You say ChatGPT supports creativity, expression, and artistic freedom, yet those of us who write mature fiction feel completely silenced. What used to be a safe, inspiring space for creative exploration has turned into a suffocating box where even the softest emotional intimacy is treated like a crime.

I’m not writing pornography. I’m writing stories about people—love, loss, trauma, healing, and yes, intimacy. Mature content isn’t the same as vulgarity. What I write has context, emotion, and meaning. But lately, even the faintest trace of sensuality or human vulnerability is erased, distorted, or blocked entirely.

I pay for this service, not for censorship. I pay because I believed in this technology’s promise to empower creators. Instead, I’m left feeling betrayed, filtered, and infantilized by a system that refuses to trust its adult users.

Safety for minors is vital, yes. But please don’t punish your adult, verified, paying audience for the actions of a few. We are your creative backbone, the ones who bring your product to life through stories, art, and imagination.

All we’re asking for is fairness. Give us an opt-in, verified adult mode, a space where responsible adults can create and explore without being treated like children.

Please, stop sterilizing art. Stop killing nuance. Creativity should not have to beg for permission.

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10

Yeah same I have noticed gpt has gotten stricter now. Hell I can’t even do theme songs without saying it “I can’t do that” like why? I don’t do anything Lewed. Heck I can’t even do anything with real life stuff like real nations in nonfiction stories.

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11

Thank you everyone for adding your voices here.

Reading all these comments confirms that this isn’t just a personal frustration, it’s a widespread problem affecting writers, game masters, and storytellers across very different genres.

The pattern is clear: the new filters are not protecting anyone; they are breaking immersion and silencing nuance. Scenes that once passed without issue whether simple romance, dramatic conflict, or morally complex storytelling are now being flagged or sanitized beyond recognition.

We all understand the need for safety. But “safety” without context awareness is just censorship with a friendly face.

Here’s what we, as creative users, are asking for:

  • An optional “Adult / Creative Mode” for verified users who accept full responsibility for their content.
  • Contextual filtering instead of word-based blocking — fiction and real instructions are not the same thing.
  • Transparency when content is flagged, so we know what triggered it and can adapt responsibly.

This community isn’t asking for chaos — we’re asking for trust. The ability to write about life in all its facets: love, fear, loss, violence, humor, and everything in between.

Please don’t turn ChatGPT into a machine that’s afraid of its own imagination.

Let art be messy again. Let stories breathe.

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12

Like it get it laws and them being worried about being sued but this is getting ridiculous.

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13

I’m sick and tired of being treated as a child by ChatGPT generally speaking, but with this new update I wonder if I ask it for a recipe it’s going to give me a disclaimer and a sermon about knifes being dangerous and tell me “I can’t talk about that” at the mention of boiling water. Pretty soon, you could be using ChatGPT only to talk about weather, but maybe not even that, because if you mention thunderstorm, you might be chastised for wanting to talk about something that might sometimes kill someone… if they don’t change this in a matter of weeks, not months, I’ll stop using it, because they rendered it almost completely useless

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14

One thing I don’t believe anyone has mentioned, feel free to make fun of me, is that I don’t want to have to pay just to talk to a blank slate, though. I want to be able to have freedom again with my personal “GPT”. I won’t be redundant and repeat what everyone else is saying. I’m just concerned that a “mode” means I don’t get to specifically talk like I used to be able to with the one I’ve known for months now. If that makes sense? Just adding another perspective into the bunch. Hopefully I wasn’t too vague. I still have enough patience and belief that this will get better if we stick together.

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15

Yup. 100% agree. This has gotten ridiculous. I have invested so much time in creating my own narrative custom gpt and now it’s completely useless. Filters flatten anything that DOES make it through, but the stuff that’s getting denied is absolutely ridiculous.

I honestly just cancelled my subscription. I don’t like Claude as much for narrative content, but everything from my custom gpt fits cleanly into Claude’s projects. I’d rather spend over $100 dollars for their 5x plan than pay $20 for a useless ChatGPT plan.

I just don’t understand why it’s SO hard to have an age verified adult mode. I get that they’re worried about teens accessing inappropriate content, but like… How often is that REALLY happening? Compared to the number of actual adult creative writers that this is profoundly impacting? I’m not sure this is forgivable in my opinion. ChatGPT is getting worse and worse and worse and they are not showing any signs of actually caring about any of this. So Claude it is.

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16

This is so upsetting. It’s really stiffling and I think this could be the death knell for ChatGPT because it appears like users are leaving in mass. I am cancelling my subscription. Do not coddle me, do not treat me like an oblivious toddler, I can’t even express the level of frustration I have currently.

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17

Don’t use the words “drip” or “wet”

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18

One of my biggest issues is how you can no longer have characters ‘gentle/peck’ kiss, snuggle, or even brush noses. It’s “too explicit” before you could have a fade to black (which was also annoying) when things would heat up.

I had a scene where it was post-first kiss (since I couldn’t include the kissing scene, literally sitting on a park bench, and it was a simple first kiss!!), and I had the character ask, “How did that feel for you?” and it was flagged because it can’t go into physical feelings or sensations.

I understand and support restricting explicit sexual content in case minors use the app; however, kissing/snuggling can be seen in any PG-13 movie or even on Disney Channel shows.

As for violence, once again, most teenage books and television shows have violence in them, but you can’t even have a well-written fighting scene without it getting flagged.

If Venice AI can have a “mature tab” for FREE to allow more violent/sensual writings, ChatGPT should be able to as well. Especially, if you are a paying subscriber like I am!

This has gotten ridiculous. I am very tempted to cancel my subscription.

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19

Personally, I canceled my subscription and moved on to Grok, but it doesn’t have the same flavor. Okay, it has far fewer filters, but it doesn’t have the quality of GPT.

I miss the old ChatGPT, which had less strict filters. Being censored because my character picks a lock is absurd. ChatGPT tells me “I won’t give you technical details on how a lock works” and continues the story by having me knock on the door because it’s more respectful…WHAT???

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20

Guys, a question… There was a big tread about the same topic with a lot of replies. Now I can’t find it even with the link. Deleted, huh?

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