OpenAI delays ChatGPT Adult Mode indefinitely to focus on core intelligence upgrades

OpenAI delays 'Adult Mode' for ChatGPT -- here's why

OpenAI is putting its focus elsewhere as it delays the launch of ChatGPT's "Adult Mode" The public's opinion of OpenAI is not favorable at the moment. Beyond skepticism about AI as a whole, people also view the company behind ChatGPT unfavorably because of its agreement with the U.S. Department of War. This partnership will assist numerous government duties, such as administrative work, logistics planning, cybersecurity analysis, and more. Even as critics raised legitimate concerns about the deal, OpenAI sought to reassure skeptics by emphasizing the safeguards surrounding its technology. In a statement addressing the agreement, the company said "the Department of War may use the AI System for all lawful purposes, consistent with applicable law, operational requirements and well-established safety and oversight protocols." At the same time, OpenAI continues to update ChatGPT and outline its broader vision for the future of AI. One feature that had generated curiosity among some users, however, appears to be delayed. The launch of ChatGPT's so-called "adult mode" has reportedly been pushed back indefinitely. OpenAI is delaying the launch of Adult Mode to focus on other projects While speaking to Axios, a spokesperson for OpenAI spoke on the main reason why the company decided to push back the launch of ChatGPT's Adult Mode. "We're pushing out the launch of adult mode so we can focus on work that is a higher priority for more users right now," he noted." "This includes gains in intelligence, personality improvements, personalization, and making the experience more proactive. We still believe in the principle of treating adults like adults, but getting the experience right will take more time." Simply put, OpenAI is more concerned with more important concerns regarding updating ChatGPT as a whole. Since January 2026, OpenAI has been globally rolling out an age prediction feature that activates extra protective measures that make sure users under the age of 18 aren't exposed to graphic violence and sexual content. However, the rollout hasn't been going too smoothly, as some adult users have been pointing out how the chatbot has been identifying them as teens. The takeaway When ChatGPT's adult mode eventually launches, the feature is expected to allow users 18 and older to engage in conversations that touch on more mature topics. These could include discussions about sexuality, sexual health and relationships that fall outside the boundaries of the chatbot's current safeguards. For now, however, the feature appears to be on hold. As OpenAI continues updating ChatGPT's core models and navigating broader business developments -- including its recent Pentagon partnership, which reportedly prompted a senior executive to leave the company in protest -- the company appears focused on higher-priority initiatives than expanding erotic chat capabilities. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

OpenAI delays 'adult mode' for ChatGPT to focus on work of higher priority

Startup still believes in 'principle of treating adults like adults, but getting experience right will take more time' OpenAI is delaying the launch of "adult mode" for ChatGPT after admitting it had more pressing priorities than introducing erotica on its signature artificial intelligence product. The startup's chief executive, Sam Altman, had announced last year that OpenAI would allow adult content as it rolled out age checking. However, the company has now said the plan has been delayed in favour of more immediate requirements such as improving ChatGPT's performance. "We're pushing out the launch of adult mode so we can focus on work that is a higher priority for more users right now, including gains in intelligence, personality improvements, personalisation, and making the experience more proactive," said OpenAI, which has more than 900 million users of ChatGPT. "We still believe in the principle of treating adults like adults, but getting the experience right will take more time." Since he announced plans last October to relax restrictions on ChatGPT, Altman has declared a "code red" to improve the chatbot amid concerted competition from rivals led by Google and Anthropic. In the meantime, OpenAI is rolling out age prediction tools that determine whether a user is under 18. If a user is underage, extra safety settings kick in, reducing exposure to graphic violence and sexual role play. In the UK, if ChatGPT produces images that are deemed pornographic under the Online Safety Act, OpenAI would need to shield that content from underage users with strict age checking. Separately, one of the most senior managers at OpenAI has resigned over the startup's US deal with the Pentagon. Caitlin Kalinowski, the head of hardware within OpenAI's robotics division, said she was concerned about mass surveillance of US citizens and AI-guided machines carrying out autonomous killing. "This wasn't an easy call," Kalinowski wrote in a post on X. "AI has an important role in national security. But surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got." Kalinowski, who said she had "deep respect for Sam and the team", said in a further post that her issue was with the rapid execution of the deal. "To be clear, my issue is that the announcement was rushed without the guardrails defined. It's a governance concern first and foremost. These are too important for deals or announcements to be rushed," she wrote. OpenAI said last week it would amend its contract with the Department of War to explicitly exclude its technology being used for mass domestic surveillance after Altman admitted the deal looked "opportunistic and sloppy". OpenAI made the deal almost immediately after the Pentagon's existing AI contractor, Anthropic, was dropped. An OpenAI spokesperson said: "We believe our agreement with the Pentagon creates a workable path for responsible national security uses of AI while making clear our red lines: no domestic surveillance and no autonomous weapons. "We recognise that people have strong views about these issues and we will continue to engage in discussion with employees, government, civil society and communities around the world."

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.

OpenAI's delayed 'adult mode' underscores the challenges of age-gating AI

OpenAI confirmed on March 6 that it is delaying the rollout of "adult mode" in ChatGPT, a feature that would give verified adults access to less-restricted content. The company first announced plans to begin age-gating users last year but has now pushed back the launch twice. Segregating adult users from minors could help in some of OpenAI's legal and revenue challenges, but nailing the technology may not be easy. Adult mode had been expected this quarter and still is, just later than originally planned. OpenAI referred Fast Company to a comment it gave to Alex Heath's Sources newsletter saying it was pausing the feature to focus on improvements to ChatGPT, including "gains in intelligence, personality improvements, personalization, and making the experience more proactive." (It also told Axios it needs more time. "We still believe in the principle of treating adults like adults, but getting the experience right will take more time," the company said.) OpenAI first hinted at the feature last October in an X post from CEO Sam Altman responding to questions about ChatGPT's safety for underage users. "As we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our 'treat adult users like adults' principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults," Altman wrote.

ChatGPT Adult Mode Delayed Again as OpenAI's 'Code Red' Reportedly Ends

OpenAI has reportedly ended the code red, which was imposed in Dec 2025 OpenAI's "code red" has reportedly reached its end, nearly four months after the company CEO declared it. In December 2025, reports claimed that Sam Altman declared a code red, keeping every non-ChatGPT project on hold. Ever since then, the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence (AI) giant has released three new AI models and multiple new features for the popular chatbot. At the same time, the company has reportedly delayed its "Adult Mode" feature for ChatGPT once again due to other higher-priority projects. OpenAI's Code Red Reportedly Over In a Substack post, Alex Heath claimed that OpenAI has now ended the company-wide code red that was in effect since December 2025. Citing unnamed sources, the former The Verge reporter said that the curfew was lifted after the company released the GPT-5.4 AI model earlier this week. This comes after Fidji Simo, the CEO of Applications at OpenAI, said in a podcast last month that code red will be over after the release of a new model. The executive had also highlighted that the code red only impacted the ChatGPT and product research teams, and not those who were working on long-term research projects. With the code red coming to an end, the company's sole focus on ChatGPT's growth can now be shifted to a wider range of products and services, as well as new initiatives. It is expected that the Sora app could see new features in the coming days, as a result of this. While it is unclear if there is a connection between the two, OpenAI is reportedly delaying ChatGPT's Adult Mode for a second time. An OpenAI spokesperson reportedly told Heath that the feature was being put on pause as the company focuses on other higher-priority projects across intelligence, personality improvements, personalisation, and making the ChatGPT experience more proactive. "We still believe in the principle of treating adults like adults, but getting the experience right will take more time," the spokesperson was quoted as saying. Notably, the feature was first announced in October 2025 and was delayed to December 2025. Then, it was again delayed to the first quarter of the ongoing year. It is unclear when the company might release the feature.