Who says we can't (literally) get some ID on NSFW character AIAfter all, age restrictions1 for lewd-tech are an idea whose time has come. The increase of AI means children should be shielded from explicit content as more advanced algorithms are developed. Sites that host adult content frequently use age-gates to prevent access. These systems generally involve an age check for the user (e.g. a DOB field, ID verification or in some cases payment information if that demonstrates the users age). However, research in this area indicates that these mechanisms are by no means foolproof and up to 30% of minors can still circumvent them leaving the issue vulnerable due to gaps in enforcing age limits.
Those can be augmented by much more advanced age-restriction technologies. For example, an AI-driven system could examine patterns of behavior from users and pinpoint irregularities that are indicative of a user being underage (e.g., atypical browsing habits or use of select jargon not common for adult activity. Such monitoring can increase the precision of age verification with up to 20%, making it harder — if not impossible in some cases — for minors to gain access.
Another new-age technology that is being used to enforce age-hold limitations include biometric data in the form of Facial Recognition. However, it is able to predict his age with a comparably moderate competence studying the facial features. Yoti, for example, has created facial recognition software which can detect age to within a couple of years and claims accuracy levels in excess of 90%. Yet, the roll out of these technologies raises privacy matters as they entail gathering and preserving highly personal information.
So, it has historically been more difficult to curb access to NSFW material. In the early 2000s USA ISPs tried to block access from adult websites through content filters. These filters were roundly criticized for being overly-inclusive and blocking educational material, as well as under-inclusive in that some NSFW content still slipped through. All these examples underline the challenge in achieving a balance between effective restriction of terrorist use and user rights / freedom to access information.
listening to entrepreneurs talk, jeff bezos once said "we are stubborn on vision. We are flexible on details." The same could be said about the vision of a safer internet for children: even as age-restriction technologies themselves change, that basic idea persists.
Last but not least, initiatives involving industry standards and regulations are essential for providing an age-appropriate rating on NSFW character AI. The EU has adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (known as GDPR) which includes some specific provisions for protecting children on line. Ensuring valid parental permission is also important in relation to GDPR as if a user is under 16 years old you must have obtained the consent of their parent for data processing. These regulations are intended to protect users, however compliance will also assist companies in avoiding possible fines of up to 4% on annual global turnover.
Feedback from users (and ongoing monitoring) will be critical to getting age-restriction mechanisms right. AI can update algorithms to ensure children cannot circumvent age restrictions in a way that actually works as they are able to learn from previous bad actors. An adaptive as such may be able to bring a rate of bypassing restrictions down by 15-25% over time.
Indeed, the cost of rolling out and maintaining these age-verification systems is not insignificant. Developing, deploying and refining these systems may require significant portions of a company's budget—potentially into the millions annually But the short term costs of protecting younger users, and fulfilling legal requirements through archiving far outweigh paying off a simple fine.
Finally, though implementation of age-restriction methods for such NSFW character AI will never be perfect given their inherent complexity and challenges involved this does not mean they are an impossible task nor should it stop efforts to try. Combine that with AI based technologies continuing to evolve, and tighter regulatory adherence coupled with the watchful eyes of monitoring systems can help these become much more effective over time. For more information on both of these developments, you can read the following thoughts from nsfw character ai to learn how AI is being deployed in order that we may have a safer time online.