ChatGPT to allow erotica for verified adult users

OpenAI plans to allow a wider range of content, including erotica for verified adults, on its popular chatbot ChatGPT from December.

CEO Sam Altman announced the move, framing it as part of the company’s new principle to “treat adult users like adults,” and to enable the chatbot to behave in a more “human-like way.”

Strong commercial imperatives drive the decision. With the AI market intensely competitive, allowing adult content is a strategy, reminiscent of rival xAI’s Grok, to attract more paying subscribers and ensure the company maintains its exponential growth curve. Despite its rapid adoption, OpenAI has not yet achieved profitability, making the push for market share and revenue crucial.

To facilitate this expansion while addressing safety concerns, OpenAI is relying on age-gating and a verified adult user base as its primary safeguard. Altman explained that the company had previously made ChatGPT restrictive to be careful with mental health issues, a concern highlighted by a wrongful death lawsuit filed earlier this year regarding a US teen. He stated that the restrictions could be relaxed “now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools.”

The change immediately fuelled critics and lawmakers who are demanding tighter regulation, particularly concerning child safety. The primary concern raised by legal experts is how OpenAI will guarantee that children cannot access the adult-only sections and the explicit content users will be able to generate and view.

While written erotica is largely unregulated in the UK, the move highlights the need for new rules at the federal level in the US, with the FTC already inquiring into how AI chatbots interact with children. The legislative pressure suggests that while verified adults will soon see a less restrictive ChatGPT, the company faces an escalating legal and ethical battle over access controls.