OpenAI CEO Sam Altman today issued a clarification after his announcement that content restrictions on ChatGPT would be relaxed was dominated by the mention of erotica for verified adult users, saying the sexual content was merely one example of allowing greater user freedom.
Altman, who announced the policy changes late on Tuesday, acknowledged today that his initial tweet “blew up on the erotica point much more than I thought it was going to.” He emphasised that the core move is about allowing more freedom for adult users.
In his follow-up post on X (formerly Twitter), Altman was careful to stress that the company is “not loosening any policies related to mental health,” and will continue to treat users undergoing mental health crises differently.
He clarified that for teenagers and minors, OpenAI will “prioritise safety over privacy and freedom,” arguing that “minors need significant protection” from the new and powerful technology. He added that the company will still not allow things that cause harm to others.
Altman maintained that the underlying principle is to “treat adult users like adults,” noting that allowing freedom in using AI is an important part of the company’s mission. He added that the company is “not the elected moral police of the world” and intends to differentiate boundaries, similar to society’s approach to R-rated movies.
The core changes, originally announced late yesterday, include a new version of ChatGPT in a few weeks that will allow the model to adopt more personalised, “human-like” personalities.
Users will be able to customise their ChatGPT to respond in a friendly manner, or use many emojis, but “only if you want it, not because we are usage-maxxing,” Altman stated.
The controversial inclusion of erotica for verified adults is slated for a December rollout, accompanying the company’s full implementation of age-gating. This change is intended to align with the company’s principle of giving adult users more freedom.
