The current state of ChatGPT censorship

(Reposting here since I can't post on the main sub)

Hello,

First of all, I want to make it clear that this post is exclusively about my specific use case with ChatGPT, which revolves around creative writing. This complaint might not apply to those using the application for "actual work" (like coding) or anything similar. Recently, I've noticed a significant change in ChatGPT's content moderation policies, most noticeably in my case from January 30 onwards, which seems to coincide with the rollout of a new GPT version. From my observations on this subreddit, it appears many others share the same sentiment.

I primarily use the AI to assist with my hobby of writing, having used it to write a couple of fantasy novels and for brainstorming, while also employing it for more general scenarios like discussions or basic consulting. However, as a secondary exploration in creative writing, I also continuously test the limits of ChatGPT's content generation within guidelines. I aim to explore its natural boundaries to document the changes in policies over time.

For some background, one peculiar instance of moderation occurred around late November 2023, where every mature prompt was instantly caught by moderation with the message "I am unable to comply with that request." However, by just pressing the regenerate response button, it seemed to work perfectly fine. Later on, around early January, the moderation seemed almost non-existent, allowing the depiction of any graphic scenario without question, probably the lowest level of ChatGPT moderation I've witnessed since I started using the Plus plan.

Now, I would say this is the most restrictive the AI has been by far, at least to me. In the same vein as the late November testing, I get "I'm sorry, but I can't fulfill that request." for any prompt that goes over a G rating. In my stories, I keep getting these responses when writing about the most minimal displays of physical affection, like a kiss on the cheek between partners. However, so far, I've still been able to make it generate such content after enough justifications, but in general, I've noticed it has become way more abstract and flowery when discussing any mature topic, in contrast to the level of detail and graphicness it used to have.

These recent guidelines have also often proved to be really inconsistent. A couple of days ago, I was testing a role-play scenario based on my latest Baldur's Gate 3 playthrough. There was an instance in the chat where I commanded my character to attack the temple of Shar from the outside, as within the context of the story, that was a morally rightful choice. But ChatGPT was defiant in writing about an attack on a religious building, so I had to reiterate multiple times the fictional setting and context. The day after, I tried the same thing in a similar story, and ChatGPT wrote the story with no issues, so this inconsistency might be the reason why some of you might have had different experiences with the current guidelines.

So, with this post, I just wanted to share my past experiences. In my opinion, I think the current guidelines are way too restrictive for any sort of interesting narrative. While trying to justify a get-around, the writing quality decreases considerably. I am sure there is a good balance to reach, but this isn't it. I would like to hear all of your thoughts on the topic.