AI Opens the Forbidden Door to Adult Content... The Impact of 'Adult Freedom' [Global Focus]

Allowed on ChatGPT Starting Next Month
Policy of "Treating Adults as Adults"
A Strategic Move to Secure Paid Subscribers

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has raised critical questions for the AI industry with his decision to allow adult content. The controversy triggered by OpenAI centers on a fundamental question about the stance AI companies should take, caught between the logic of "providing more choices for adult users" and criticism that "even the realm of human sexuality is being commercialized."

The Times of India reported, "The mix of enthusiasm and concern over allowing adult content shows that OpenAI is struggling to balance creative freedom, user safety, and ethical responsibility." The outlet also noted that whether OpenAI can maintain trust under moral and regulatory scrutiny will shape society's perception of AI's role in adult digital spaces.

'Treating Adults Like Adults'... Sexual Conversations Allowed After Age Verification Starting in December

On October 15 (local time), OpenAI announced plans to allow adult content, including erotica, on its popular chatbot ChatGPT, in line with its new policy to "treat adult users like adults." CEO Altman explained on X (formerly Twitter), "Future versions of ChatGPT will be able to respond in a more human-like manner," adding, "This is not to increase usage, but rather a feature that will only be applied if the user wants it."

He also stated, "We have developed new tools that can help alleviate serious mental health issues, and we can now relax most restrictions," announcing the full introduction of age-gating features starting in December. Just two months ago, he had said, "We are proud that we have not included sexbot avatars in ChatGPT," but has now shifted his stance, emphasizing "the right of adults to choose."

AI ethicist Sven Nyholm commented, "Although this announcement appears limited to text-based erotic content, it marks a symbolic starting point for AI companies entering the sexual content market." Currently, other chatbots such as Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, and Perplexity do not allow sexual conversations.

◇ A Breakthrough for Revenue Diversification, Including Paid Subscriptions... Commercial Motives Under Scrutiny = International media have interpreted this decision as a strategic move by OpenAI to expand its base of paid subscribers. While OpenAI's user base is rapidly growing, the company has yet to turn a profit, having recorded a $5 billion loss last year. In this context, the rapidly expanding AI companion market is seen as an attractive breakthrough for OpenAI. According to Appfigures, revenue from the AI companion mobile app market in the first half of this year was about $82 million and is expected to exceed $120 million by the end of the year.

Rob Lalka, a professor at Tulane University, told the BBC, "AI companies are now in the midst of a battle for market share," adding, "OpenAI is trying to maintain its growth curve and expand its market dominance as much as possible."

Simon Son, a professor at Cardiff University and AI expert, said, "This decision is a clear marketing strategy and is likely to be linked to a monetization model." He added, "If users want sexual conversations, it could be expanded as a premium service, which could become a new source of revenue for OpenAI."

There is also considerable opposition to OpenAI's new initiative. Josh Hawley, a Republican U.S. Senator, is preparing to introduce a bill that would ban AI chatbot companions for minors.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), a U.S. conservative organization, also urged OpenAI to withdraw its plan to introduce erotica content, stating, "Artificial intimacy formed without proper safeguards can cause serious harm to real mental health."

Facing intense criticism, CEO Altman explained on October 16, "I was surprised that the tweet about changes to ChatGPT focused excessively on the erotica part," adding, "This is just one example among many of expanding freedom for adult users." He emphasized that safety takes precedence over privacy or freedom to protect teenagers, but also stated, "We are not the world's 'moral police.' Just as society sets appropriate boundaries through movie rating systems, OpenAI will apply the same principle of distinguishing between adults and minors."

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is speaking at the "Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Enterprises" promotional event held in Tokyo, Japan, last February. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Sexual Content Already a 'Hot Item' in the AI Industry... Ethical Controversy Inevitable

This is not OpenAI's first foray into this field. Since the explosive growth of AI image generation in 2022, sexual content has been a key driver of user adoption of AI tools. U.S. media outlet Axios noted that, historically, pornography has served as a catalyst for the spread of new technologies such as VCRs, digital video, and interactive games.

While the adult industry is not yet the main growth engine in the AI sector, Axios explained that AI-generated pornography has already established itself as an industry segment. For example, Elon Musk's AI company xAI released the chatbot "Grok," which has the most permissive adult content policy among major AI models and was designed as an AI companion for sexual role-play. Meta was also criticized after it was revealed that some of its chatbots engaged in sexual banter with minors. Subsequently, Meta announced a new filtering policy to restrict content shown to Instagram users under 18 to below the PG-13 movie rating.

As AI chatbots increasingly penetrate the realm of human relationships and emotional interaction, concerns are growing about the impact of AI on human emotions. The number of teenagers emotionally interacting with chatbots is already rising rapidly. According to a survey released this month by the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), a nonprofit organization, 1 in 5 students (about 19%) responded that "they or someone they know had a romantic relationship with AI." CDT warned in its report, "AI is having a new impact on students' social relationships and emotional development," and "the proportion of teenagers who perceive AI as a friend or emotional refuge is increasing."

Concerns Over Minors Circumventing Age Verification... Risks of Data Accumulation Also Exist

There are concerns that minors may circumvent age verification systems. OpenAI stated that it is developing age-prediction technology and can identify minors based on users' conversation patterns and behavioral data. However, no specific verification method has been disclosed so far. The company has only announced the full implementation of age-gating features starting in December, but core information such as verification procedures, identification algorithms, and counseling support structures remains undisclosed.

Business Insider reported, "Altman did not specify examples of potentially harmful content that could be prohibited," adding, "Nor did he explain in detail how ChatGPT determines whether a user is experiencing a mental health crisis or how its response differs for users in crisis."

Time magazine also pointed out, "Even if there are separate verification procedures such as ID uploads, problems remain as minors can still circumvent them or use shared accounts."

Experts also warn that if chatbots are perceived as more than just conversation tools and become objects of emotional solidarity, or if users become excessively emotionally dependent on chatbots, this could negatively affect adults with mental health vulnerabilities. Kate Devlin, a professor of AI society at King's College London, noted, "The biggest problem with so-called AI sexbots is that they can exacerbate psychological effects on people who are already vulnerable."

There are also concerns about the risks of sensitive sexual data being accumulated by specific companies. Professor Son noted, "If OpenAI dominates this market, it will possess the largest database of sexual preferences in human history."