OpenAI has revealed upcoming changes to ChatGPT that will take effect in December this year. CEO Sam Altman announced that the service will allow adult users to engage the chatbot for erotic scenarios.
"In December, as we implement age restrictions and adhere to our principle of treating adults as adults, we will enable even more features, including adult content for verified adult users," Altman stated.
In September, the company introduced a parental control system and age verification. According to Altman, this has allowed for a clear distinction between minors and adults, creating opportunities for expanded functionality.
Engadget reports that some users have already attempted to bypass restrictions by using ChatGPT for private (NSFW) conversations. The company now effectively recognizes such scenarios as acceptable, but only for verified adults.
A similar approach was outlined during the DevDay 2025 event, where OpenAI announced the integration of third-party applications into ChatGPT. Developers were informed that support for adult applications (18+) in the chatbot would be available following the implementation of age verification and control.
These changes come amidst criticisms of OpenAI regarding the impact of ChatGPT on users' mental health. For instance, we previously reported on an incident where an American teenager interacted with ChatGPT about suicide, which ended tragically, leading to his parents filing a lawsuit against OpenAI.
Another case involved a man in the U.S. with mental health issues who used ChatGPT to affirm his paranoid thoughts, resulting in the murder of his mother and his own suicide.
Following these and similar incidents, Altman stated that the company has deliberately made ChatGPT more restricted to responsibly address issues related to mental health. He acknowledged that this may have made the model less useful or enjoyable for users without mental health problems, but it was necessary for safety.
He added that now, with the mitigation of "serious mental health issues" and the introduction of new protective tools, OpenAI can safely relax restrictions in most cases.
It is expected that the company will successfully combine age restrictions with new capabilities, allowing adult users to have a broader experience while maintaining protections for minors.