No more Wattpad? ChatGPT to allow adult users to generate erotic content soon

OpenAI has proclaimed that ChatGPT will soon allow more content like "erotica for verified adults" as part of what the company describes as a "treat adult users like adults" principle. This is expected to be part of OpenAI’s major update for ChatGPT, allowing users to customise their AI assistant's personality and include options for more human-like answers.

Notably, users usually have to turn to social storytelling platforms like Wattpad to read, write, and share original stories, including erotic content, but with restrictions.

In a post on X, the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, said they observed that stricter controls on AI to deal with mental health concerns had made the chatbot "less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems".

Notably, the stricter safety rules came in after a teenager from California, Adam Raine, died by suicide earlier this year. His parents filed a lawsuit alleging that ChatGPT gave him advice on how to take his own life.

"Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases," Altman wrote.

In the next few weeks, OpenAI will put out a version of ChatGPT that will let people have more control over the chatbot’s tone and personality, Altman said.

"If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it (but only if you want it, not because we are usage-maxxing)," he posted.

The biggest change is expected in December, when OpenAI plans to introduce stronger age checks that would allow erotic content for verified adults.

"As we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our 'treat adult users like adults' principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults."

Altman said in another post that users will not be able to view erotica unless they specifically ask for it. He added that OpenAI will continue to protect users in "mentally fragile states" and will rely on "enhanced tools for that," but those who do not fall into that group should have a "great deal of freedom in how they use ChatGPT."

The company introduced a dedicated ChatGPT version for users under 18 in September, which automatically directs them to content appropriate for their age and blocks graphic or sexual material.

It also said it is working on behaviour-based age prediction technology that analyses whether a user is over or under 18 based on how they use ChatGPT.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Meta announced a new system to control what users under 18 can view on Instagram and its generative AI tools, using filters inspired by the PG-13 movie rating system.

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