OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has clarified the upcoming Adult Mode for ChatGPT. A day earlier, Altman had announced that ChatGPT would soon allow adult content, including erotica, for verified users, sparking widespread criticism on social media.
A day later, Altman clarified that the erotica example was only intended as an example of how ChatGPT would allow more freedom to adult users, while noting that the company is not the “world's chosen moral police.”
“This tweet about upcoming changes to ChatGPT blew up way more on the erotica side than I thought it would! It was just an example of how we're enabling more user freedom for adults,” Altman noted in a post on X.
“We are not relaxing any policies regarding mental health. This is a new and powerful technology and we believe that minors need significant protection. We also strongly value the principle of treating adult users as adults,” he added.
Altman stated that OpenAI will still not allow things that would harm others and will treat users with mental health crises very differently. He also noted that the company, without being paternalistic, would try to help users achieve their long-term goals.
He added: “We are not the chosen moral police of the world. In the same way that society distinguishes other appropriate boundaries (e.g. R-rated films), we want to do something similar here.”
In his earlier post, Altman had admitted that OpenAI had made ChatGPT “quite restrictive” to protect users from mental health risks, but this approach made the chatbot “less useful/enjoyable for many users who did not have mental health issues.”
He added that OpenAI has now “been able to mitigate serious mental health concerns and has new tools” and will allow them to “safely ease restrictions in most cases.”
The AI startup had announced earlier this month that it is developing age prediction technology to automatically apply teen-appropriate settings when users are identified as underage. Parents can also link their accounts to the teens' accounts for more direct control and receive notifications when the system detects their teen is in distress.
AI and adult content:
On the topic of adult content in the AI chatbot, Altman had stated that the functionality would be opt-in and users “won't get it unless you ask for it.”
The use of AI for erotica in particular has been a hotly contested topic in the field of AI in recent weeks/months. Meta recently faced criticism on social media after users reported seeing sexualized chatbots on Instagram, such as “Step Mom” and “Russian Girl.” Meanwhile, Elon Musk has also faced criticism for his Grok AI's Ani character, which appeared in a goth anime-style blonde avatar and appeared in lingerie while using provocative language in NSFW mode.
Grok AI has also been used to create erotica content that has been shared prominently on X in recent weeks.
