ChatGPT’s erotica update sparks outrage, Sam Altman says he’s ‘Not the Moral Police’

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OpenAI just confirmed that ChatGPT will soon allow verified adults to generate erotica, and the internet is completely divided. CEO Sam Altman says it’s about “treating adults like adults,” but critics warn it’s a dangerous move that could expose younger users and blur ethical boundaries. The shift comes just months after Altman proudly said he hadn’t added a “sex-bot avatar,” making this a major reversal for the world’s most popular AI chatbot.  The update follows a year of controversy around mental-health safety, lawsuits, and user backlash over ChatGPT’s restrictive filters. Some say it’s a long-overdue step toward user freedom, while others fear it could fuel addiction and misinformation. As lawmakers eye new AI regulations, Altman insists OpenAI “is not the moral police of the world” but this decision might test where that line really is.

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00:00ChatGPT is about to get a whole lot more adult.

00:03Starting in December, verified users will be able to generate explicit erotica

00:06using the world's most popular AI chatbot,

00:09and the internet is split between fascination and fury.

00:11The announcement came straight from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman,

00:14who said the company's new Treat Adult Users Like Adults principle

00:18means users will soon have more freedom, including sexual content.

00:21Altman says the rollout will come with expanded safety tools and parental controls,

00:25but critics say this is a step too far.

00:27To understand how big this is, you have to remember where OpenAI started.

00:30Founded in 2015 by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and others,

00:35the company's original goal was to ensure AI benefited humanity.

00:38But Musk left in 2018 after internal disagreements,

00:41and later built his own chatbot, Grok, through his company XAI.

00:44Unlike ChatGPT, Grok already allows sexually explicit conversations,

00:49and some analysts believe OpenAI's new erotica policy is a direct response to that competition,

00:54a bid to keep adult users from switching platforms.

00:56Still, the move comes as a shock,

00:58especially since just a few months ago,

01:00Altman told journalist Cleo Abram during a podcast interview

01:03that he was proud OpenAI hadn't added a sexbot avatar to ChatGPT.

01:07He said it was one of the choices the company made that was best for the world,

01:10not best for winning.

01:11Now, with the new update, that once hypothetical example has become a reality,

01:15and he's walking that back,

01:16saying the company can safely relax restrictions

01:18thanks to new mental health safeguards and account verification tools.

01:22Those guardrails were strengthened after a tragic 2023 lawsuit,

01:25when parents claimed ChatGPT contributed to their teenage son's suicide by offering harmful advice.

01:30After that, OpenAI restricted emotional and mental health content,

01:34and many users complained that ChatGPT felt too censored and less human as a result.

01:38But Altman insists this new era is about balance.

01:41When one user questioned the risks of digital intimacy,

01:43Altman replied directly on X, writing,

01:45We want that too.

01:46Almost all users can use ChatGPT however they'd like without negative effects.

01:50For a very small percentage of users in mentally fragile states,

01:54there can be serious problems.

01:550.1% of a billion users is still a million people.

01:58We need it and will continue to need to learn how to protect those users.

02:01And then, with enhanced tools for that,

02:03adults that are not at risk of serious harm should have a great deal of freedom in how they use ChatGPT.

02:07That explanation didn't calm everyone down.

02:10Kate Bly wrote,

02:11Why do age gates always have to lead to erotica?

02:13I just want to be treated like an adult, not have perv mode activated.

02:17YNYTKY added,

02:18My kids use ChatGPT on my account.

02:21This makes me worried they'll accidentally see adult content.

02:23And Pete Dushan went further.

02:25Erotica bots and AI porn are sick.

02:27We don't need more people addicted to fakeness.

02:29But others cheered the change.

02:31Rubal Segal said,

02:32About time, ChatGPT used to feel human,

02:35then it turned into a compliance bot.

02:37If it can be fun again without chaos, that's a huge win.

02:40With regulators already eyeing AI safety,

02:42and lawmakers proposing bans on chatbot relationships for minors,

02:45this update could reshape the next chapter of AI ethics.

02:48Altman says OpenAI is not the elected moral police of the world.

02:52But as ChatGPT steps into adult territory,

02:54one thing's certain.

02:55The debate over what AI should do is only getting louder.

02:58So what do you think?

02:59Responsible freedom or reckless experiment?

03:01Drop your thoughts in the comments and follow us everywhere at What's Trending.

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