OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says he is ‘envious’ of Gen Z college dropouts who have the ‘mental space’ and time to build new startup

OpenAI is planning to permit a broader spectrum of content—including erotica—on its flagship chatbot, ChatGPT, as part of a principle to “treat adult users like adults,” according to CEO Sam Altman.

In a post on X, Altman said that future versions of ChatGPT will be able to act more like a human—but only if the user wants it, not because OpenAI is trying to maximize usage. He emphasized that the shift is strategic, not promotional.

The changes echo recent moves by Elon Musk’s xAI, which introduced explicitly sexual chatbots in its Grok product. Such a direction might boost OpenAI’s appeal to paying users, but is also likely to draw renewed scrutiny and legislative pressure over content regulation around conversational AI.

Altman noted that previously, OpenAI imposed strict limits on ChatGPT to avoid exacerbating mental health issues. He acknowledged that those restrictions made the platform less enjoyable for users without such concerns, but said the company delayed easing them until it had developed better safeguards. Under the revised policy, starting in December, OpenAI intends to age-gate certain features and allow erotic content for verified adults.

Alongside current lawsuits against OpenAI—including one by the parents of a U.S. teen who died by suicide allegedly after using ChatGPT—such changes raise serious concerns about children’s access to adult-only capabilities. While written erotica is not subject to age verification under U.K. law, AI-generated pornographic images are regulated more strictly, which complicates enforcement. Some critics warn that, without strong guardrails, OpenAI risks providing mature content to minors.