ChatGPT Will Allow Erotica for Verified Adults

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in an X post that ChatGPT will support “erotica” for users who pass upcoming age verification, a feature the company plans to roll out in December. Altman framed the change under a “treat adult users like adults” principle and said the company will allow more mature conversations for verified adults once age‑gating and “appropriate” controls are in place.

The announcement follows earlier signals that developers could be allowed to build “mature” ChatGPT apps after verification systems are implemented. The Verge notes other companies are exploring similar territory — for example, Elon Musk’s xAI has launched flirty AI companions that appear as 3D anime models in the Grok app.

Altman also addressed recent model changes: after making GPT‑5 the default, OpenAI reintroduced GPT‑4o as an option following user complaints that the new model felt less personable. He said OpenAI had been “pretty restrictive” to protect users with mental‑health issues but believes new detection tools make it possible to relax restrictions for most users.

OpenAI has formed an expert council on “well‑being and AI” of eight researchers to guide responses to sensitive scenarios; Ars Technica notes the council does not include suicide‑prevention specialists, a point raised by advocates calling for stronger safeguards for users in crisis.