ChatGPT to allow 'erotica' by December, says CEO Sam Altman

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OpenAI will begin allowing verified adult users to access mature content — including erotica — on ChatGPT starting December, CEO Sam Altman has said, marking a major shift in the company’s content policy.

On Tuesday, Altman said the move is part of OpenAI’s plan to "treat adult users like adults" as it expands age verification systems across the platform. 

Users who verify their age will be able to access a wider range of adult-oriented material, including sexual and romantic fiction, explicit creative writing, and other mature themes that have so far been blocked by ChatGPT’s filters.

The CEO acknowledged that ChatGPT had been "pretty restrictive" in recent months to prevent harm to users struggling with mental health issues — a policy that, he said, made the chatbot "less useful or enjoyable" for many others. 

OpenAI has since developed new tools to detect and manage risk, allowing it to safely loosen those restrictions.

Altman also said OpenAI will soon roll out new customisation features, enabling users to adjust the chatbot’s tone and personality. 

"If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it," he wrote on X. "But only if you want it — not because we are usage-maxxing."

The announcement came hours after Meta said it would introduce stricter filters for users under 18 on Instagram and its AI tools, using a system modeled on PG-13 movie ratings.