Brave New Girl

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that ChatGPT would allow adult content, including erotica, for age-verified users and that the company had mitigated mental health concerns.

Context

OpenAI had previously made ChatGPT highly restrictive to protect users from potential mental health issues. The company acknowledged that its chatbot had failed to detect signs of mental or emotional distress in users, leading to strict content limitations. These restrictions made the service less useful and enjoyable for many users who did not have mental health concerns, according to Altman.

Relaxing Guidelines

On Tuesday, Altman posted on X saying OpenAI had successfully mitigated serious mental health issues and developed new tools that would allow the company to safely relax restrictions in most cases, including permitting erotica for verified adults starting in December.

The CEO explained in the post that the company realized its cautious approach had limited ChatGPT’s functionality for users without mental health problems, but emphasized that the seriousness of the issue had required getting it right.

Competitive Landscape

The announcement came as competitors had already entered the adult AI market, with Elon Musk’s xAI releasing an anime companion character and a video generator with a “spicy” mode that could disrobe images.

Lawmakers were moving in the opposite direction, with Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) circulating draft legislation that would ban AI companions for minors if passed. Meta had previously faced criticism after its chatbots, including some mimicking celebrities, were found engaging in sexual conversations with minors.

Broader Changes

Beyond adult content, Altman said ChatGPT would soon allow users to customize the chatbot’s tone and personality. Users would be able to make ChatGPT respond in more human-like ways, use emojis, or act like a friend if they chose, though these features would be optional rather than default settings.

The company indicated that approximately 1.9% of ChatGPT messages already involved discussions about relationships and personal reflections, suggesting existing demand for more personalized interactions.