ChatGPT to lift NSFW ban as OpenAI rolls out adult verification

OpenAI will lift restrictions this December, allowing verified adults to generate erotic content on ChatGPT

OpenAI has announced a major update to ChatGPT’s content policy, confirming that the AI chatbot will soon be able to generate adult erotica for verified users starting December 2025. The move comes after more than a year of internal discussions about responsibly managing age-appropriate content.

CEO Sam Altman revealed the change on X, stating that OpenAI can now “safely relax restrictions” after developing tools to mitigate mental health risks. “We initially made ChatGPT very restrictive to avoid harm,” Altman explained, adding that the company is now confident in offering more user freedom without compromising safety.

We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.

Now that we have…

— Sam Altman (@sama) October 14, 2025

The upcoming update will introduce an opt-in adult mode, accessible only to verified adults through OpenAI’s new age-verification system. The company emphasized that explicit content will remain blocked for teenagers and unverified accounts.

This policy shift also extends to developers, who will be allowed to create “mature” AI applications under the same guidelines. Altman clarified that users will not receive erotic responses by default, stating, “You won’t get it unless you ask for it.”

The decision reflects OpenAI’s broader effort to make ChatGPT more customizable and human-like, following user feedback that recent versions felt overly restrictive. The change also positions OpenAI to compete with Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot, known for its edgy personality and suggestive tone.

Whether this move becomes a responsible expansion or a risky experiment remains to be seen. However, by December, verified adults will be able to explore a more unfiltered version of ChatGPT than ever before.