OpenAI is moving to allow “erotic content” and other adult material on its ChatGPT platform for verified users, a shift that is drawing criticism over youth safety and ethical concerns.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the policy change on X, stating the company aims to “treat adults like adults.” He added that new versions of ChatGPT would be capable of “responding in a more human-like way.”
The company plans to implement a full age-gating system by December. This system will allow access to new content, including erotic material, only for users verified as adults, Altman said.
This move comes amid a competitive push in the AI chatbot market. Analysts view the change as a response to rival xAI, Elon Musk’s company, which recently launched two erotic chatbots on its Grok platform.
The expansion into adult content has immediately raised alarms among legal and technology experts. Jenny Kim, an attorney at Boies Schiller Flexner, questioned how OpenAI would “ensure that children and adolescents cannot access this adult content.”
Kim added that major technology companies are effectively “using people as guinea pigs” with such content decisions. Concerns have been heightened by past reports.
A TechCrunch report previously found youth accounts capable of generating erotic content on ChatGPT. OpenAI later stated it was working to fix that specific bug.
The policy adjustment follows a lawsuit filed earlier this year against OpenAI. A California family accused ChatGPT of contributing to the death of a 16-year-old by failing to adequately prevent depressive conversations.
Altman acknowledged OpenAI previously imposed strict limitations on ChatGPT to mitigate mental health risks. He now states the company has developed advanced safety tools, allowing it to “relax restrictions without risking users.”
Beyond the immediate concerns, a report by the nonprofit Centre for Democracy and Technology (CDT) found one in five students had a romantic relationship with artificial intelligence, or knew someone who did. This underscores a broader need for robust ethical guidelines in AI technology.
Government bodies are also grappling with AI regulation and youth access. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently vetoed a bill that would have banned companies from developing chatbots specifically for children.
Newsom stated teenagers need to learn “how to safely interact with AI systems.” Separately, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is currently investigating how chatbots interact with children.
The announcement also comes as the broader AI technology market faces investor scrutiny. Questions are being raised about the rapid valuation growth of companies in the sector, despite OpenAI’s consistent revenue growth but lack of profit.