Dear OpenAI Team,
I’m writing to provide feedback on the current Content Policy, specifically regarding the depiction of strong, complex female characters in fictional, cinematic scenes—particularly within the genres of Noir and psychological thriller.
I am an author working on a fictional story set in the world of Italian high society, with clear genre influences from neo-noir and psychological thrillers. At the center of the story are deeply developed characters, most notably my protagonist, Giulia Bianchi—a controlled, intelligent woman caught between familial loyalty and the desire for personal freedom.
These characters are not just constructs to me as an author—they are multi-faceted personalities with strengths and weaknesses, control and vulnerability, just like real people. I aim to show them in all phases of their personal journey: strong and composed, but also in moments of doubt, searching, and failure.
When attempting to use DALL-E to visualize one of these scenes—Giulia standing in front of an elegant bar in Milan, alone, confident, holding a single red rose—the request was repeatedly blocked. The combination of “alone,” “evening setting,” “controlled expression,” and “subtle tension” seems to trigger the filters. The noir aesthetic, where strong female characters assert themselves, appears to be flagged as risky.
I completely understand and appreciate the intention to prevent problematic or harmful portrayals. However, the current safeguards seem to lack differentiation between objectification and empowerment. The result is that strong female characters who are in control of themselves and their environment—while still showing vulnerability and complexity—are effectively impossible to depict.
I find this restrictive for several reasons:
- These mechanisms prevent me from portraying my characters in their full human complexity.
- There is no way to show characters at different stages of their personal development—not only as strong or weak, but as complex personalities navigating between both, which is fundamental to realistic literature and the noir genre.
What I hope for is a Content Policy that makes room for this:
- Strong female protagonists who are sovereign, vulnerable, and complex.
- Artistic contexts where tension is not automatically equated with danger or exploitation.
- A more nuanced approach, where empowerment and psychological depth are not blocked by generalized protective mechanisms.
I have been working on this story for a while now. These characters are carefully constructed and represent themes such as power, control, freedom—and their consequences.
As an author, I take responsibility for their portrayal. I use your platform to complement my literary work with visuals—not to reproduce stereotypes or harmful narratives.
For this reason, this issue is particularly important to me.
Thank you for the excellent work you have done so far—and for providing a channel where suggestions like this can be shared. I hope my feedback contributes to the further development of your policies.
Kind regards