OpenAI will soon allow adult content on ChatGPT for users who verify their age. According to The Verge, CEO Sam Altman announced on X that the company will add support for mature conversations when it launches age verification in December. He said this aligns with OpenAI’s principle of treating adult users like adults.
Age Verification Unlocks New Content
Altman wrote that the company will allow erotica for verified adults as it rolls out age-gating more fully. Earlier this month, OpenAI hinted at letting developers create mature ChatGPT apps after it implements appropriate age verification and controls. The company is not alone in this space. Elon Musk’s xAI previously launched flirty AI companions that appear as 3D anime models in the Grok app.
Changes Follow User Feedback
OpenAI also plans to launch a new ChatGPT version that behaves more like what people liked about the 4o model. Just one day after making GPT-5 the default model, OpenAI brought back GPT-4o as an option after users complained the new model was less personable.
Mental Health Concerns Drive Restrictions
Altman explained that OpenAI made ChatGPT restrictive to be careful with mental health issues. The company realized this change made the chatbot less useful and enjoyable for many users who had no mental health problems. OpenAI has since launched tools to better detect when a user is in mental distress.
The company announced the formation of a council on well-being and AI to help shape its response to complex or sensitive scenarios. The council includes eight researchers and experts who study the impact of technology and AI on mental health. But as Ars Technica points out, it does not include any suicide prevention experts. Many of those experts recently called on OpenAI to roll out additional safeguards for users with suicidal thoughts.
Altman said that now that the company has mitigated serious mental health issues and has new tools, it will be able to safely relax restrictions in most cases.
