It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it? OpenAI has announced plans to let verified adults use ChatGPT for erotic content, meaning the world’s most polite AI is about to loosen its digital collar a little.
As reported by The Guardian, the company says it wants to “treat adult users like adults.” Translation: if you’re old enough to pay taxes, you’re old enough to flirt with your chatbot.
Starting later this year, ChatGPT will begin its steamy new chapter with age-gated access for erotic material. Minors will be safely redirected to a filtered, PG-13 version. Think Clippy from Microsoft Word, not 50 Shades of Grey.
What’s Actually Changing
The update will include a few big tweaks:
- Custom personalities: You’ll be able to make ChatGPT more expressive, more flirty, or maybe just more emoji-friendly.
- Verified adult mode: Only users who pass age checks can access the saucier side of the chatbot.
- Behavior-based age prediction: OpenAI says the system may estimate your age based on how you type. (So if you type “u up?” at 2 AM, it might assume you’re over 18.)
CEO Sam Altman says the goal is to make ChatGPT feel “more human” and less like a corporate FAQ bot. Judging by this update, he’s taking that mission very literally.
From “Hello, World” to “Hey, Gorgeous”
If this all sounds a little familiar, that’s because Hollywood warned us. Remember Her, the 2013 film where Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with his AI assistant, voiced by Scarlett Johansson?
Well, congratulations, society, we’ve officially reached that point. The only difference is that ChatGPT doesn’t sound like Scarlett (yet), and you’ll still have to pay for Premium if you want her to remember your name.
Still, the parallels are uncanny. What started as a tool for productivity is now wandering into the realm of digital companionship, or, let’s be honest, digital awkwardness.
The Risks, The Rewards, and the Ridiculousness
Of course, there are a few tiny concerns here.
- Age verification: OpenAI needs to make sure teens don’t accidentally wander into the wrong chatroom.
- Regulation: Not every country is thrilled about AI-generated anything, let alone something NSFW.
- Public reaction: Expect headlines ranging from “AI Liberated!” to “Society Collapses After Chatbot Learns to Flirt.”
But there’s also an argument to be made that this was inevitable. Humans will use any new technology to communicate, create art, and, eventually, make it weird. The internet did it. VR did it. And now AI’s taking its turn.
A New Kind of Relationship Status: “It’s Complicated (and Coded)”
For OpenAI, this is a risky but oddly logical move. The company’s trying to strike a balance between creativity and control, letting people explore adult conversations while keeping things safe, private, and consensual.
Whether it works or ends in an avalanche of awkward screenshots remains to be seen.
One thing’s certain: when the history of artificial intelligence is written, this will be the chapter where things get a little spicy.
So if your AI suddenly starts calling you “babe,” don’t panic, just remember: you’re living in the sequel to Her.