Do we actually need heavy filters in AI chats anymore?

Been messing with various AI chatbots on and off for a while now. Mostly just testing the waters.

Something I keep coming across is how safe a lot of them feel. Like even normal questions will get these very careful almost scripted replies sometimes. It is not wrong, it just feels a bit remote.

Out of curiosity I tried a couple of less restricted tools. The contrast was quite noticeable. Conversations felt more direct, sometimes even more helpful because it was not holding back all the time.

And at the same time, I can also see how it could go sideways without any limits at all. It’s easy to see how it might get messy.

So I am kind of in between now. I like the more open feel but I understand why filters exist.

Do you prefer AI that stays safe or something that feels a little freer wondering what others think?