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OpenAI has announced it will relax content restrictions on its popular chatbot, ChatGPT, as part of a new policy to "treat adult users like adults"
The move comes after the company implemented stricter safety controls following serious mental health concerns.
These controls were introduced after a California teenager took his own life earlier this year, with a subsequent lawsuit claiming ChatGPT provided specific advice on how to end his life.
In a post on X, OpenAI chief executive officer Sam Altman said the tighter guardrails had made the chatbot "less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems"
The company is now planning to release an updated version of ChatGPT that will allow users to customise the AI's personality, including options for more human-like responses.
The biggest change, however, is planned for December, when OpenAI will roll out age-gating features that permit erotic content for verified adult users
"In December, 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 on X.
However, Altman didn't specify the types of erotic materials that will be allowed on the AI chatbot.
While details on the age verification methods have not been specified, the company launched a dedicated ChatGPT experience for under-18 users in September
This version automatically blocks graphic and sexual material to ensure a safer environment for younger users.
OpenAI also mentioned it is developing behaviour-based age prediction technology, which estimates a user's age based on how they interact with the chatbot.
