Following the implementation of an age verification system, OpenAI will permit adult content in ChatGPT. This feature will be available in December, adhering to the principle of “treating adults as adults,” according to the company’s CEO, Sam Altman.
We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with 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.
Now that we have…
— Sam Altman (@sama) October 14, 2025
Users who verify their age will gain access to explicit materials.
“We made ChatGPT quite restrictive to act cautiously on issues related to mental health. We understand that this made it less useful and enjoyable for many users without such issues. […] Now that we have managed to reduce risks and have new tools, we can safely ease restrictions in most cases,” the entrepreneur wrote.
In a few weeks, a new version of the chatbot will be released, allowing users to choose the AI’s personality type. The neural network will be able to respond “more human-like,” actively use emojis, or “act like a friend.”
In September, OpenAI launched a special version of ChatGPT with parental controls for users under 18.
If the company determines that a user is underage, they will automatically be redirected to a version of the chatbot adapted for younger users, where graphic sexual content is blocked.
Back in August, OpenAI shared plans to address shortcomings in ChatGPT when dealing with “sensitive situations.” This was prompted by a lawsuit from a family who blamed the chatbot for a tragedy that befell their son.