OpenAI delays ChatGPT adult mode again as company shifts focus to core intelligence upgrades

ChatGPT has delayed the roll out of its adult mode again: 'Getting the experience right will take more time'

* OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT adult mode is delayed again * The update was originally planned to land in December * OpenAI says there are higher priority upgrades to work on for now It was last October when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman promised that ChatGPT would get an adult mode -- for generating erotica and other kinds of similar content -- but the original December launch window has passed, and now we're hearing that grown-up topics of conversation will be delayed even further. An OpenAI spokesperson has told Axios (via TechCrunch) that the company is "pushing out" the adult mode launch to some unspecified time in the future. Right now, the spokesperson said, OpenAI engineers are working on "higher priority" updates. Those priorities include intelligence upgrades, personality tweaks, and a "more proactive" attitude from ChatGPT. "We still believe in the principle of treating adults like adults, but getting the experience right will take more time," the spokesperson said. We don't actually know too much about the adult mode in ChatGPT, but OpenAI says that it will only be available for accounts with users who have been verified as being over 18 -- although there have been some early issues with the age detection feature. Ethics in AI The news comes as OpenAI is in the midst of a storm of controversy over AI ethics. The company's decision to sign a deal with the US military has attracted fierce criticism over concerns around mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, and the numbers suggest a substantial number of ChatGPT users are quitting the app. It's not just users either: OpenAI's head of robotics Caitlin Kalinowski has resigned from the company over the agreement with the Pentagon, and it's far from the first time that OpenAI employees have expressed worries over the company's safety policies. With all of that in mind, it's perhaps unsurprising that OpenAI would want to steer clear of further debates about what AI should and shouldn't be used for. For now, there's no new potential launch date for the ChatGPT adult mode. The most recent ChatGPT upgrade we've seen is a new GPT-5.4 Thinking model, which rolled out just a few days ago and is built for more complex tasks. In the meantime, adult AI bots are widely available, if you know where to look. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

OpenAI is delaying its adult mode for ChatGPT

The feature for verified adult users has slipped again as the company prioritizes core upgrades. OpenAI has once again pushed back the launch of ChatGPT's planned "adult mode," a feature that would allow verified adult users to access erotica and other mature content inside the chatbot. The delay was confirmed to Axios, with the company saying it wants to prioritize improvements that benefit a broader set of users. The feature has been in the works for months. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman first floated the idea in October, suggesting the company would eventually allow more adult-oriented responses once proper age-verification systems were in place. The original plan reportedly targeted a December rollout before slipping to early 2026. Now, the timeline has been pushed back again with no confirmed launch date. Why OpenAI is slowing things down According to OpenAI, the delay comes down to priorities. The company says it is focusing on improving ChatGPT's core intelligence, personality, personalization, and proactive capabilities before introducing more controversial features. An OpenAI spokesperson told Axios that while the company still believes in the principle of "treating adults like adults," implementing the feature properly, particularly with reliable age-gating and safeguards, will take more time. The decision also reflects the tricky balancing act AI companies face. Allowing adult content opens the door to broader conversations about censorship, safety, and moderation, especially when tools like ChatGPT are widely used by teenagers and younger audiences. Recommended Videos The idea of an adult mode has been controversial since it was first proposed. Supporters argue it would allow adults to interact with AI more freely, while critics warn it could introduce new risks around misuse, explicit content, or exploitation. Nonetheless, at least for now, the planned adult mode remains on the roadmap. But based on the latest update, users shouldn't expect it to arrive anytime soon.