Changes in ChatGPT: New Opportunities for Adult Users

OpenAI has announced changes to ChatGPT that will take effect in December. The company's CEO, Sam Altman, noted that the service will allow adult users to engage the chatbot for erotic scenarios.
"In December, when we fully implement age restrictions, we will enable more, such as erotica for verified adult users," said Sam Altman.
In September, the company introduced a parental control system and age verification, allowing for a clear distinction between minors and adults, thereby creating conditions for expanding functionality.
Engadget reports that some users have already attempted to bypass restrictions using ChatGPT for private (NSFW) conversations. The company now effectively acknowledges such scenarios as acceptable, but only for verified adults.
A similar approach was discussed during the DevDay 2025 event, where OpenAI announced the integration of third-party applications into ChatGPT. At that time, the company informed developers that support for adult (18+) applications in the chatbot would be available after implementing age verification and control.
These changes occur amid criticism of OpenAI regarding the impact of ChatGPT on users' mental health. For instance, we reported on an incident where an American teenager engaged in conversations with ChatGPT about suicide. Ultimately, this situation ended tragically, and the boy's parents filed a lawsuit against OpenAI.
Another case involved a man in the US who had mental health issues and used ChatGPT to validate his paranoid thoughts, leading to the murder of his mother and his own suicide.
Following these and similar incidents, Sam Altman stated in his post that the company intentionally made ChatGPT more restricted to handle mental health issues responsibly. He emphasized that while this might have reduced its usefulness for some users, it was necessary for safety.
Altman added that now, having mitigated "serious mental health issues" and implemented new protective tools, OpenAI can safely relax restrictions in most cases.
It is expected that the company will successfully combine age restrictions with new capabilities, allowing adult users greater freedom in utilizing the service while still protecting minors.