Users told Semafor that Janitor AI struck the right mix of laissez-faire within reason. They could discuss almost anything with the chatbots, but content related to minors, hate speech, and other over-the-line topics was banned.

A university student who goes by the online handle Kimaii said she heard about Janitor AI after it blew up on TikTok. Kimaii had long been into role-playing games, and became instantly enamored with Janitor AI, which she described as “a more interactive version of that.”

She was particularly drawn to the online community that supports the platform, and began helping other users navigate the sometimes complicated process of setting it up. Kimaii later became a volunteer moderator at Janitor AI’s request.

The ability of Janitor AI’s bots to remember previous interactions, as well as offer richer and deeper exchanges, was also a big draw. Kimaii said community members team up to create chat prompts that describe characters’ upbringings, personalities, and emotional hang ups.

“The bots would definitely remember things I told them early on like my appearance, interests, etc.,” said one 19-year-old user. “They also felt more alive than other platforms do. The bots had a way with words expressing how they feel.”

Since OpenAI cut off Janitor AI three months ago, some users have taken to Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok to mourn the loss of their beloved artificial companions. “IT HAS BEEN 3 MONTHS WITHOUT AI DICK,” reads a viral Reddit post from earlier this month. “I MISS MY HUSBANDS ???.”

But other loyal Janitor AI fans are still chatting with bots on the platform, thanks to a clever workaround: signing up for an OpenAI developer account. One female user in her 20s said that by plugging her credentials into the site, she can continue to use ChatGPT to power her bots. The downside is that she has to pay OpenAI for her usage, which costs as much as $.12 for 750 words of output.

There’s also the risk that OpenAI could ban her at any time for violating the company’s policies, which forbid “content meant to arouse sexual excitement,” as well as “erotic chat.” The user said that she has been banned once previously, but if it happens again, she plans to sign up for a new account using a phone number bought online, which costs less than $1.

Other Janitor AI users said they felt that OpenAI’s stance on sexual content is unreasonable, and argue the company is missing out on a big opportunity to grow its user base. “I think it’s only fair when OpenAI restricts NSFW [content] from minors,” said the 19-year-old user. “It just isn’t fair to those who are over 18 to get their accounts banned, especially if they paid with their own money in order to talk to their bots.”

Some users told Semafor that finding an alternative chatbot app hasn’t been easy. Most mainstream platforms, such as Character.AI, don’t allow NSFW conversations, and those that do are sometimes full of unsavory content, like sex bots designed to resemble underage girls.

“I feel like Janitor AI is better in nearly every aspect,” said the female user in her 20s. “The community is welcoming, the developers listen to us, and the site is actively moderated.”