OpenAI to Ease ChatGPT Rules, Will Let Verified Adults Access Erotica by December

OpenAI is preparing one of its most controversial updates yet. CEO Sam Altman said the company will soon loosen ChatGPT’s strict content filters and by December, verified adults will even be able to access erotic content.

In a post on X, Altman explained that ChatGPT had been deliberately “restrictive” to avoid mental-health risks when people used it for emotional support or companionship. But he admitted that the extra caution also made the chatbot less fun and less human for most users.

Now, with new safety systems in place, OpenAI plans to relax those limits. A fresh version of ChatGPT coming in the next few weeks will let people choose a personality that feels more natural whether that means using emojis freely, cracking jokes, or chatting like a friendly human.

Altman said the goal isn’t to push engagement but to give users more control. “If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it,” he wrote.

The bigger shake-up arrives in December, when OpenAI plans to roll out stronger age-verification tools. Under its new “treat adult users like adults” rule, verified users will be allowed to access erotica and other mature content.

This move comes soon after Elon Musk’s xAI launched two sexually explicit chatbot characters for its Grok AI assistant, a sign that the AI industry is moving toward more adult-themed experiences.

OpenAI’s update could attract new paying users who want a more personal and expressive chatbot. But it will likely also fuel debates among regulators and mental-health experts about how far AI companies should go in simulating intimacy.

For now, Altman hasn’t shared exactly how OpenAI will manage verification or keep the system safe, but one thing’s clear: the next version of ChatGPT will sound a lot more human, and for some, a lot more daring.

Read More: OpenAI Partners With Walmart to Let Users Buy Products in ChatGPT