OpenAI plans to roll out an age-gated ChatGPT for "erotica" in
December to verified adult users as part of the company's policy to "treat adult users like adults," the company's CEO Sam Altman wrote on X.
Altman called it "age-gating," and explained that OpenAI previously made ChatGPT too restrictive to ensure the
company remained careful regarding mental-health issues.
“We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the
issue we wanted to get this right,” Altman wrote in a post on X. “Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to
safely relax the restrictions in most cases.”
OpenAI released a study in September about how people use ChatGPT. It showed 1.9% of ChatGPT
messages were about relationships and personal reflections.
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Not all of Altman's followers on X were happy about the decision.
One follower on X wanted to know why "age-gates always
have to lead to erotica? Like, I just want to be able to be treated like an adult and not a toddler, that doesn't mean I want perv-mode activated."
Another follower on X told Altman that
ChatGPT "used to feel like a person you could actually talk to, then it turned into a compliance bot. if it can be made fun again without losing the guardrails, that's a huge win." He wrote that
people don't want chaos, just authenticity.
Altman agreed, and said users want the bot to feel like a person, but without any negative effects.
"For a very small percentage of users in
mentally fragile states there can be serious problems," Altman wrote, adding: "0.1% of a billion users is still a million people. We needed (and will continue to need) to learn how to protect those
users, and then with enhanced tools for that, adults that are not at risk of serious harm."
He referenced mental-health breakdowns, suicide, and more, and said those who are not in that
fragile state should have freedom in how they use ChatGPT.
In the coming weeks, people will have the ability to control the tone and personality of ChatGPT, Altman said.
Only two months ago, Altman told podcaster Cleo Abram that OpenAI had not "put a sex bot avatar in GPT, yet." It's one thing that
could increase use, he told her, but to do so would go against the company's policies.
Adult entertainment, whether it is called pornography or erotica, has not been a driving force
behind generative AI efforts or large language models (LLMs).
Elon Musk's xAI has already offered erotica with its anime girl companion and "spicy" video generator.
