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OpenAI’s adult mode will reportedly be smutty, not pornographic

The Verge / 3/16/2026

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Key Points

  • OpenAI is planning to launch an 'adult mode' for ChatGPT that will allow text-based discussions with adult themes, but it will not support image, voice, or video generation.
  • The content in this mode is described as 'smut' rather than pornography, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing an unnamed OpenAI spokesperson.
  • The feature was first announced in October, with Sam Altman stating that OpenAI had mitigated enough safety concerns to relax restrictions for erotica in chats.
  • The Verge coverage frames the development within ongoing safety and policy discussions about how adult content will be handled in ChatGPT.
Illustration of lips in a browser window.
So when exactly is smut considered porn? | Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images

OpenAI's delayed "adult mode" for ChatGPT is expected to support saucy text conversations at launch, but not the chatbot's ability to generate images, voice, or video. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, an unnamed OpenAI spokesperson described content that will be provided by the upcoming feature as smut rather than pornography, allowing ChatGPT users to generate textual chats with adult themes.

The feature was initially announced in October, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claiming that the company had managed to mitigate enough of the "serious mental health issues" with its AI model to relax safety restrictions and introduce "erotica for ver …

Read the full story at The Verge.