OpenAI will introduce age verification in December, allowing verified adult users to access erotica and mature conversations on ChatGPT under stricter safety controls.
OpenAI will soon permit verified adult users to access “erotica” and other mature content on ChatGPT when it launches its age-gating system in December.
In an X post on Tuesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company will “allow even more, like erotica for verified adults,” as part of its principle to “treat adult users like adults.”
The move follows earlier hints that OpenAI would enable developers to create “mature” ChatGPT apps once proper age verification and content controls are in place.
OpenAI’s decision mirrors trends among competitors such as Elon Musk’s xAI, which recently launched flirty AI companions within its Grok app.
Altman added that ChatGPT had previously been made “pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues,” but that new tools can now “better detect” when users are in distress.
The company also announced a new “well-being and AI” council to guide responses to complex or sensitive user interactions. While the eight-member panel includes technology and psychology researchers, critics note the absence of suicide prevention experts.
OpenAI will also roll out a new ChatGPT model that “behaves more like what people liked about 4o.”