OpenAI plans to open the floodgates to more adult uses of ChatGPT starting in December, according to a new message from CEO Sam Altman. The company announced that it would add parental controls and automatic age detection features in September, and it appears that the benefit of sorting children from adults is the ability to offer more freedom in what ChatGPT can show users.
“In December, as we roll out the age restriction more and as part of our principle of ‘treating adult users like adults,’ we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults,” Altman said. Some avid ChatGPT users already regularly manipulate the chatbot to engage in NSFW conversations, but Altman’s announcement seems more like a tacit endorsement from OpenAI that these use cases are acceptable.
The company signaled something similar during its DevDay 2025 announcements, when its new guidelines for developers creating apps for ChatGPT noted that “support for adult (18+) experiences will arrive once age verification and appropriate controls are in place.” After December, it seems that adult interactions with ChatGPT or the apps the chatbot can access are fair game.
All of these changes come in the shadow of disturbing stories about the seemingly negative influence ChatGPT can have on users, including the death of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who allegedly used ChatGPT to plan his own suicide.
Reducing the chatbot’s sycophantic qualities with the release of GPT-5 was one of the ways OpenAI attempted to address the mental health impacts of ChatGPT, along with built-in notifications to remind users to take breaks. It’s hard to say for sure whether these adjustments have made a difference, but combined with the age restriction, it’s clear that OpenAI feels comfortable giving its chatbot a longer leash.
