OpenAI will allow mature content on ChatGPT for users who verify their age on the platform starting in December, CEO Sam Altman announced Oct 14. The chatbot had been made restrictive for those experiencing mental distress, but changes are coming. Altman wrote in a post on X this Tuesday that OpenAI embraces a “treat adult users like adults” principle. “Verified adults” will access “even more” content types, including “erotica,” as part of the roll out of age-gating technology.
Altman said the company made the service “pretty restrictive” to “make sure” it was “being careful” with “mental health issues.” Though well-intentioned, this approach left the chatbot “less useful” and “enjoyable” for “many users who had no mental health problems.”
OpenAI has been able to mitigate these concerns through new tools, Altman explained, adding the company is “going to safely relax restrictions in most cases.”
A new version will release in the coming weeks letting people “better dictate the tone and personality” of their conversations. If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, it should do it. These options activate only when requested—not because of usage-maxxing, according to Altman.
Earlier Tuesday, Media unveiled a new system to limit, what, users under 18 can see on Instagram and its generative AI tools. The media company is using filters inspired by the PG-13 movie rating system.”
The December rollout signals OpenAI’s confidence in balancing safety with adult freedom on its platform.
