OpenAI will soon allow adult users to access erotic content through ChatGPT, marking a sharp departure from its long-standing restrictions on sexual material. CEO Sam Altman announced the change Tuesday, describing it as part of the company's effort to "treat adult users like adults."
"In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our 'treat adult users like adults' principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults," Altman said in a post on X. He added that the new policy would apply only to those who explicitly request such content.
Altman said earlier versions of ChatGPT had been "pretty restrictive" out of concern for users' mental health, but that the company's new safety systems made it possible to "safely relax the restrictions in most cases." Those systems include parental controls and detection tools introduced last month after criticism over the chatbot's accessibility for minors.
"Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases," Altman wrote.
The change represents one of the most significant shifts in OpenAI's content moderation strategy since the company launched ChatGPT in 2022. Until now, OpenAI had broadly banned sexual or erotic material. A February update to its "Model Spec" policy hinted at a softer stance, noting that the company aimed to "maximize freedom" while maintaining bans on sexual content involving minors.
The new adult-oriented mode will coincide with the release of an updated ChatGPT version that allows more customizable "personalities." Altman said, "If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it - but only if you want it."
The move drew renewed attention to Altman's previous remarks distancing ChatGPT from sexualized AI competitors. In an August interview, he said one example of a decision made "for the world, but not for winning the AI race" was that "we haven't put a sex bot avatar in ChatGPT yet."
Altman's announcement comes as OpenAI faces mounting regulatory and ethical scrutiny. In September, the Federal Trade Commission launched an inquiry into the company's handling of minors' data and mental health risks. The company also faces a lawsuit from a California couple who alleged that ChatGPT contributed to their 16-year-old son's suicide.
To address those concerns, OpenAI this week unveiled an eight-member expert council focused on "well-being and AI." The group will advise the company on how artificial intelligence affects users' emotions and mental health, with regular meetings and feedback sessions to define "healthy AI interactions."
