Erotica coming to ChatGPT for verified adult users, Sam Altman says

AI-generated image, photo editor: Dastan Shanay

OpenAI’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT may undergo significant changes in operational policy this December, including loosening censorship rules for adult users, according to an announcement by the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, on X on Oct. 14, CNBC reported.

«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,» the post on X read.

Altman also noted in the same post that current versions of the chatbot were intentionally restrictive to address issues affecting users with mental health challenges, which made the tool less «useful/enjoyable» for users who do not face such challenges. According to Altman, OpenAI has now addressed these severe mental health concerns, and with the introduction of «new tools,» several restrictions can be safely eased.

Among other announcements, Altman revealed a new version of ChatGPT that offers an experience similar to version 4o, which, he said, is favored by users for its «personality» coming in a few weeks.

This update announcement comes amid a lawsuit filed in late August 2025, in which the parents of a 16-year-old U.S. teenager alleged that the platform contributed to their son’s suicide.