https://qz.com/ai-girlfriend-bots-are-already-flooding-openai-s-gpt-st-1851159131

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AI
WE GOT A BOT PROBLEM

AI girlfriend bots are already flooding OpenAI's GPT store

OpenAI's store rules are already being broken, illustrating that
regulating GPTs could be hard to control

By
Michelle Cheng
PublishedYesterday
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
     
Screenshot of "girlfriend" search results on OpenAI's GPT store.
Screenshot of "girlfriend" search results on OpenAI's GPT
store.Screenshot: Courtesy of company

It's day two of the opening of OpenAI's buzzy GPT store, which offers
customized versions of ChatGPT, and users are already breaking the
rules. The Generative Pre-Trained Transformers (GPTs) are meant to be
created for specific purposes--and not created at all in some cases.

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A search for "girlfriend" on the new GPT store will populate the
site's results bar with at least eight "girlfriend" AI chatbots,
including "Korean Girlfriend," "Virtual Sweetheart," "Your girlfriend
Scarlett," "Your AI girlfriend, Tsu."

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Click on chatbot "Virtual Sweetheart," and a user will receive
starting prompts like "What does your dream girl look like?" and
"Share with me your darkest secret."

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Screenshot of "Virtual Sweetheart" chatbot.
Screenshot: Courtesy of company.
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AI chatbots are breaking OpenAI's usage policy rules

The AI girlfriend bots go against OpenAI's usage policy, which was
updated when the GPT store launched yesterday (Jan. 10). The company
bans GPTs "dedicated to fostering romantic companionship or
performing regulated activities." It is not clear exactly what
regulated activities entail. Quartz has contacted OpenAI for comment
and will update this story if the company responds.

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Notably, the company is aiming to get ahead of potential conflicts
with its OpenAI store. Relationship chatbots are, indeed, popular
apps. In the US, seven of the 30 AI chatbot apps downloaded in 2023
from the Apple or Google Play store were related to AI friends,
girlfriends, or companions, according to data shared with Quartz from
data.ai, a mobile app analytics firm.

The proliferation of these apps may stem from the epidemic of
loneliness and isolation Americans are facing. Alarming studies show
that one-in-two American adults have reported experiencing
loneliness, with the US Surgeon General calling for the need to
strengthen social connections. AI chatbots could be part of the
solution if people are isolated from other human beings--or they could
just be a way to cash in on human suffering.

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The company says it uses a combination of automated systems, human
review, and user reports to find and assess GPTs that potentially
violate its policies, which can lead to actions such as "warning,
sharing restrictions, or ineligibility for inclusion in GPT store or
monetization."

OpenAI's GPT store is operating in the Wild West

OpenAI's store rules being broken on the second day of operation
illustrates how hard it could be to regulate GPTs.

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In the past year, tech companies have been releasing AI tools in
"beta" mode and have explicitly noted that their product could make
mistakes. For instance, in the ChatGPT chat screen, OpenAI has a line
at the bottom stating: "ChatGPT can make mistakes. Consider checking
important information."

Notably, tech companies have also been quick to look into reported
problems with their AI, in part because getting this right matters as
they race to dominate the space.

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