alright, so google rolled out this fancy new AI called Gemini you can play with it at Googles Ai Studio. it’s got some safety stuff built-in, which is fine, but you need to know how it works so you don’t get blindsided. this ain’t some philosophical debate, this is about your website, your business, your money. let’s get into it.
gemini’s got these five main safety filters:
- harassment: this one’s pretty obvious. it blocks stuff that attacks people based on who they are. good to have on, unless you’re running some kind of hate site. which, you know, don’t.
- hate speech: similar to harassment, but broader. covers general assholery, basically. again, unless you’re trying to piss people off, keep this one active.
- sexually explicit: no porn. simple enough. if you need this stuff for your business, you’re in a different line of work than we are.
- dangerous: this is the tricky one. it blocks stuff that could cause harm. think promoting violence, self-harm, that kind of thing. now, if you’re building a site about, say, wilderness survival, you might need to loosen this one up a bit. just be careful.
- civic integrity: this is about elections and politics. gemini tries to avoid spreading misinformation or influencing elections. if your site’s political, you’ll need to pay attention to this one.
now, each of these filters has different levels:
- block none: everything goes. use with extreme caution.
- block few: only blocks the really bad stuff.
- block some: a decent middle ground for most sites.
- block most: plays it safe. good if you’re risk-averse.
so, how do you actually use these things? well, if you’re using the gemini API directly, you can tweak the settings in your code. google’s got docs for that, but it’s techy stuff. if you’re using a tool that uses gemini, you might have some simpler options in the interface. look for “safety settings” or something similar.
why should you even care about this? a few reasons:
- protect your brand: you don’t want your site spitting out offensive crap and pissing off your customers.
- avoid legal trouble: some of this stuff is illegal, plain and simple. don’t get sued.
- control your message: you want your site to say what you want it to say, not what some AI thinks is okay.
bottom line: gemini’s safety filters are a tool. like any tool, you need to know how to use it. don’t be afraid to experiment, but be smart about it. your website is your business’s face online. make sure it’s a face you’re proud of.
and as always, if you need help building a website that works; without the bullshit; give us a shout at funkpd. we build sites that get shit done.
