‘Treat Adults Like Adults,’ Says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as he Greenlights Erotic Content for Verified Adults on ChatGPT
Key Points:
ChatGPT to allow erotic content for verified adult users from December 2025.
Customizable AI experience lets users make ChatGPT friendlier and more expressive.
Under-18 users will continue to access a safe, age-appropriate version of ChatGPT with adult content blocked.
ChatGPT has introduced a new update for adult users of the AI chatbot. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced in his X post on 14 October 2025 that the company is set to ease some of its restrictive features for adult users.
The relaxation of ChatGPT’s safety restrictions will make the chatbot friendlier, and users can engage in “erotic” conversations. Altman stated that from December 2025, ChatGPT will be more open and will follow the principle of “treat adults like adults.”
Users often use apps like Wattpad to write and share stories, including erotic content, but there are some restrictions.
In his recent announcement, Sam Altman said ChatGPT will now include erotic content, but only for verified adult users. In another post, Altman stated that users will not see this content unless they request it.
See Also: Altman Defends Suicide Ruling in Death of OpenAI Whistleblower Suchir Balaji Amid Murder Allegations
He further added that, with the new update, OpenAI will provide assistance to users who are in a “mentally fragile state.” OpenAI will use enhanced tools to help users experiencing any kind of mental distress. He also mentioned that users who are not affected will have “a great deal of freedom” in how they use ChatGPT.
Altman wrote in an X post that the restrictive features were integrated into the chatbot to ensure that mental health concerns were properly addressed.
He wrote, “We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems.” The new update will allow users to customize their AI chatbot according to personal preferences. Users will be able to make their AI bot friendlier and more expressive with the help of emojis.
The biggest update in the upcoming version of the AI chatbot will be the introduction of a new mechanism to relax age-gating. This will allow adult users with verified ages to engage in erotic content.
Altman said on Tuesday, "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.”
In September, the company launched an age-appropriate version of ChatGPT specifically for young users under the age of 18. This version restricted all adult or sexually explicit content.
Altman wrote in his X post that the company has been successful in mitigating the rising mental health concerns faced by some of the chatbot’s young users.
The stricter safety controls were introduced after Adam Raine, a 16-year-old boy from the USA, committed suicide following mental distress. His parents sued OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, claiming that the AI chatbot validated his distress and even influenced him to draft a suicide note.
There were several complaints regarding the 4.0 model of ChatGPT that emerged in 2025, including the Adam Raine case. ChatGPT has also been involved in promoting delusional behavior among users. In one instance, the AI bot convinced a user that he was a math genius destined to save the world.
As concerns have grown about the chatbot’s negative effects on children and teenagers, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission started an inquiry into various tech companies, including OpenAI.
Altman wrote in his latest announcement on X, “Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases.” [Rh/VS]
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