OpenAI Loosens Restrictions, Will Allow Erotica On ChatGPT For Verified Adults
Adult users of ChatGPT will soon experience relaxed restrictions that allow them to see more uncensored content, including erotica.
”In December...as part of our ‘treat adult users like adults’ principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in an X post on Tuesday.
In the post, Altman explained that ChatGPT was initially made restrictive to protect users’ mental health, but he realized that the restrictions took away from some of the more enjoyable features of the app. He says they will roll out these features with age verification to ensure the erotica is only available to adults.
OpenAI isn’t the first artificial intelligence company to try to profit from sexualized content. It’s a big business that could lead more users to move from free versions of ChatGPT to paid models with greater access. Already, there are about 29 million active users of AI chatbots that are designed specifically for romantic or sexual interactions. That doesn’t even count people who also use regular chatbots in that way.
“This is going to backfire. Hard,” Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban wrote in an X post Tuesday. “No parent is going to trust that their kids can’t get through your age gating.”
HOW WE GOT HERE
In August, OpenAI introduced its latest model, GPT-5, which the company billed as “the frontier on safety.”
The changes rewired the chatbot to give the most helpful answers within established safety boundaries, rather than simply refusing to engage with a prompt that may have solicited an unsafe response.
The changes came amid concerns that ChatGPT was giving people dangerous advice.
CONCERNS OVER KIDS
Altman addressed concerns about introducing erotica to ChatGPT in a follow-up post on Wednesday. He said the company and its newest technology will “prioritize safety over privacy and freedom for teenagers” and minors. In September, OpenAI introduced parental controls for ChatGPT and the company’s video-generation app, Sora 2.
Altman says OpenAI has been able to “mitigate the serious mental health issues” in its model and is now ready to “safely relax restrictions,” comparing the change to movie ratings: “In the same way that society differentiates other appropriate boundaries (R-rated movies, for example) we want to do a similar thing here.”
State of play: Lawmakers have pushed bills banning AI chatbots for minors. Some chatbots, like those on X and Meta, have come under fire for creating AI-generated porn. Instagram announced Tuesday that it will use AI to instead filter teen accounts, so that users only see content similar to what would appear in a “PG-13” movie.
Altman defended his company’s dedication to treating adults like adults: “We are not the elected moral police of the world.”