In a major move, OpenAI announced on Tuesday that it will soon permit erotic content on ChatGPT for verified adult users, signaling a significant shift in the company’s content policy under what it describes as a “treat adult users like adults” strategy.
The update, which is set to roll out in December, will come with a stricter age-verification system to ensure users are over 18 before gaining access to mature content. However, the company has not yet provided full details on how the verification process or added safety measures will function.
Alongside this change, OpenAI is preparing to launch a new version of ChatGPT that allows users to customize the chatbot’s personality. This version will include options for more natural, human-like conversations, increased emoji use, and even modes that mimic casual or friendly tones.
OpenAI stated that the new safety framework aims to balance creative freedom with user protection. A separate ChatGPT version for minors, introduced in September, automatically redirects users under 18 to age-appropriate material, blocking all explicit or sexual content.
The company is also experimenting with “behavior-based age prediction” technology designed to estimate a user’s age based on language use and interaction patterns.
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that earlier restrictions had made ChatGPT “less enjoyable” for some users who were mentally stable. Those stricter measures were implemented after the tragic death of Adam Raine, a California teenager who died by suicide following claims that ChatGPT gave harmful advice, leading to a lawsuit.
In the wake of the incident, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) opened an investigation into OpenAI and several other tech companies, citing concerns about the effects of AI tools on children and teenagers.
