NSFW ChatGPT? OpenAI plans “grown-up mode” for verified adults

OpenAI plans a “grown-up mode” for verified adults, with Sam Altman signalling that ChatGPT will soon engage in far less highbrow conversations of a sexual kind. By December, age-gating is expected to expand to allow erotica for verified adults, after Altman said the company has learned from earlier restrictions.

The shift follows a 2024 Model Specification document that indicated OpenAI was exploring the possibility of generating NSFW content in age-appropriate contexts under the API and ChatGPT, and a February 2025 update that began to mull a ‘grown-up mode’ while drawing a hard boundary around age, sexual deepfakes and revenge porn. Analysts put a figure on the sector, noting that last year about $2.7 billion was spent worldwide on AI companionship, with expectations the market could reach $24.5 billion by 2034.

The privacy angle is not new: earlier this month two AI companion apps exposed millions of private chat logs, and in 2024 another AI girlfriend platform leaked users’ fantasies and histories, highlighting the data risks as such services gain mainstream traction. The piece also mentions Elon Musk’s X launching a sexualised virtual companion and notes that ChatGPT had previously banned NSFW content.