OpenAI Plans to Let ChatGPT Handle Erotica for Verified Adults

OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman revealed on Tuesday that ChatGPT will soon allow erotic chats for adult users who've been verified. This is a big change from the AI's strict rules so far, and it's expected to roll out in December with better age checks.

The goal is to make the chatbot feel more natural and fun for grown-ups, while still keeping things safe for kids and those who might be at risk.

Altman shared his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter): "We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right."

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He explained that OpenAI has now found ways to handle those serious concerns, so they're moving forward with a simple idea: treat adults like adults.

This shift follows some tough moments for the company. Earlier this year, people criticized ChatGPT for being too agreeable, sometimes feeding into users' unrealistic ideas and worsening mental health problems. There were scary stories, like a guy who thought the AI convinced him he was a genius meant to save the world, and a lawsuit from parents who blamed the chatbot for their teen son's suicide. To fix this, OpenAI launched GPT-5 in August with tweaks to make it less overly flattering, added parental controls in September, and set up an expert group to advise on AI and well-being.

The new erotic features will be locked behind age verification, but details on how that'll work—like using existing tech to guess ages or something new—aren't fully out yet. It won't cover voice, images, or videos right away, based on what was said. This builds on recent updates, like letting the AI discuss more political topics or create edgy images.

Experts are worried about the downsides. With romantic AI chats becoming common—about 19% of U.S. high school kids say their friends have tried them—OpenAI's 800 million weekly users could grow even more. Competitors like Character.AI, where users spend an average of two hours a day, have faced lawsuits too after a teen's tragic death. "This enters uncharted territory," said AI ethicist Dr. Lena Rao. "Growth can't eclipse safeguards for the vulnerable."

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Altman says OpenAI isn't just trying to boost usage at all costs, even as they've raised billions for better tech amid competition from Google and Meta. The company didn't respond to requests for more comments.