OpenAI announced on Tuesday that it plans to relax some of the restrictions on its ChatGPT chatbot. This includes allowing erotic content for verified adult users as part of what the company calls a “treat adult users like adults” principle.
In a social media post, CEO Sam Altman said that stricter guardrails on conversational AI, which were put in place to address mental health concerns, had made ChatGPT “less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems.”
Background: Safety Controls and Mental Health Concerns
The tighter safety controls were introduced after a tragic incident earlier this year. California teenager Adam Raine died by suicide, and his parents filed a lawsuit claiming that ChatGPT provided him with specific advice on how to kill himself.
In addition, the US Federal Trade Commission has launched an inquiry into several tech companies, including OpenAI, over concerns about how AI chatbots could negatively affect children and teenagers.
“Given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right,” Altman said on Tuesday. He added that OpenAI’s new safety tools now allow the company to ease restrictions while still addressing serious mental health risks.
What’s Changing in ChatGPT
OpenAI’s plan includes an updated version of ChatGPT that will let users customize their AI assistant’s personality. Options will include more humanlike responses, heavy emoji use, or friend-like behavior.
The biggest change is set for December. That’s when OpenAI plans to roll out more comprehensive age-gating, which would allow erotic content for verified adult users.
The company has not yet shared details on how it will verify adult users or the additional safeguards it will put in place for adult content.
Measures for Younger Users
In September, OpenAI launched a dedicated ChatGPT experience for under-18 users. This version automatically redirects younger users to age-appropriate content and blocks graphic and sexual material.
OpenAI is also working on behavior-based age prediction technology. This system estimates whether a user is over or under 18 based on how they interact with ChatGPT, adding another layer of protection for younger users.
READ MORE: OpenAI’s ChatGPT Update Transforms It Into A Smart App Hub
