- OpenAI plans to release an “adult mode” for ChatGPT in early 2026.
- The feature will use AI to infer users’ ages before granting them access to adult content.
- Adult mode may be delayed depending on the age prediction system.
ChatGPT is growing, or at least will offer an adults-only version starting next year. OpenAI Applications CEO Fidji Simo confirmed the plan for an “adult mode” to debut in the first quarter of 2026. There’s no firm date yet, in part because the launch won’t happen unless and until the company’s new age prediction AI model proves effective. OpenAI is currently testing AI’s ability to determine when someone is under 18 and apply the correct content filters automatically in some countries.
Unlike most websites that display a “confirm your age” pop-up on any spicy topic, OpenAI doesn’t want to rely on the honor system. While old internet services could escape liability with a “this content may not be appropriate” label, the interactivity of AI means developers have to think a lot more about what their tools can do and for whom. OpenAI wants a more nuanced AI that can infer a user’s likely age based on behavior and context. And until that system is in place, adult content on ChatGPT will remain prohibited.
The news is not surprising, as an adult version of ChatGPT has long been rumored, especially in the wake of xAI experimenting with an age-limited version of Grok. Simo’s announcement simply confirms that OpenAI is ready to adopt a more mature version of its tool, albeit with some barriers for security and legality reasons.
And in fact, nudity and explicit content may not be the focus of ChatGPT’s adult mode. That’s the logical assumption, but comments from CEO Sam Altman and others imply that it could be more about opening the AI chatbot to discussions about topics currently banned by the content filter for not being family-friendly.
There have been complaints that ChatGPT is too prudish and strict in its guidelines, and errs on the side of caution when the boundaries get even a little blurry. Since everyone has their own line of “appropriate,” it was probably wise from a business standpoint. Now OpenAI can have its cake and eat it with a side of adult content.
Adult ChatGPT
The benefits of an adult mode for ChatGPT may end up seeming a bit mundane. Just talking about human sexuality, relationships, and mental health would take the AI chatbot into new territory.
But age prediction is a complicated matter. Most systems rely on user-submitted data or facial recognition. OpenAI is committed to the interpretation of behavior. The company is training AI to detect maturity based on how someone converses and what they want to discuss. But an error in either direction could have legal or business consequences.
And it’s not that there isn’t a lot of official and unofficial scrutiny. Governments around the world are actively drafting or enforcing new regulations on online age verification, and OpenAI likely sees this feature as an improvement to the user experience and a proactive enforcement measure.
Still, people like a personalized AI experience. Adult mode is another way for users to have more control over how they interact with ChatGPT, perhaps by encouraging people to subscribe to a premium tier of ChatGPT. If age testing works and people spend time in adult mode, ChatGPT could be setting another AI precedent, this time for the more mature chatbots to come.
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