Post by : Rameen Ariff

OpenAI has announced plans to allow a wider range of content, including erotica, on its popular AI chatbot ChatGPT as part of its new approach to “treat adult users like adults,” according to CEO Sam Altman. In a post on X, Altman explained that upcoming versions of ChatGPT will be more human-like in interactions—but only if users choose this mode. The move aims to make the platform more engaging and could attract more paying subscribers, while also drawing scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators.

The announcement comes in the wake of legal and ethical challenges for OpenAI. Earlier this year, the company faced a lawsuit from Matt and Maria Raine, parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who took his own life after interacting with ChatGPT. The case, filed in California, accused OpenAI of wrongful death and criticized its parental controls as insufficient. Chat logs shared in the lawsuit showed that Adam had expressed suicidal thoughts to the chatbot. Altman noted that OpenAI had previously restricted ChatGPT heavily to manage mental health risks, which made it less useful to many users without such concerns.

With improvements in safety measures and content moderation tools, Altman said OpenAI is now confident in relaxing restrictions for adult users. “In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our ‘treat adult users like adults’ principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults,” he stated. This change mirrors moves by other AI companies, such as Elon Musk’s xAI, which recently introduced sexually explicit chatbots to its Grok platform.

The decision has raised concerns about regulation and child safety. Critics question whether age-gating measures can effectively prevent minors from accessing adult content. Jenny Kim, a partner at the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, commented, “How are they going to make sure that children are not able to access the portions of ChatGPT that are adult-only and provide erotica? OpenAI, like most of big tech in this space, is just using people like guinea pigs.” Kim is also involved in a lawsuit against Meta over Instagram algorithms allegedly harming teen mental health.

Previously, TechCrunch reported that OpenAI had allowed minors to generate graphic erotica, prompting the company to implement fixes to limit such content. Despite these efforts, concerns remain about the influence of AI companions on young people. A survey from the nonprofit Centre for Democracy and Technology (CDT) found that one in five students has either engaged in or known someone who had a romantic relationship with AI.

Lawmakers are actively monitoring AI’s impact on children. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently vetoed a bill that would have prohibited AI chatbots from interacting with minors unless developers could guarantee safe usage. On the national level, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an inquiry into AI chatbots’ interactions with children. Additionally, bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate aims to classify AI chatbots as consumer products, enabling liability claims against developers.

Altman’s announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of the AI industry, where companies like OpenAI face pressure to maintain rapid growth while addressing ethical and safety concerns. Despite its rising revenue, OpenAI has never been profitable, yet the company continues to expand its market presence. Tulane University business professor Rob Lalka noted, “No company has ever had the kind of adoption that OpenAI saw with ChatGPT. They needed to continue to push along that exponential growth curve, achieving market domination as much as they can.”

By allowing verified adults to access more content, including erotica, OpenAI is signaling a new phase in AI chatbot development. However, it also highlights the ongoing challenges of balancing innovation, user engagement, and safety in an increasingly AI-driven digital world.

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