ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has now indefinitely suspended its controversial “adult mode” chatbot project following internal protests from employees and concerns raised by investors, according to a report by Financial Times. The erotic chatbot, internally named as “Citron mode”, was defined to allow sexually explicit conversations, but it faced mounting criticism over its potential social impact. As per the FT report, both staff and investors warned that this product could encourage unhealthy emotional attachments to AI systems and expose minors to problematic sexual content. One of the former senior employee said that they left partly due to the project arguing, “AI shouldn’t replace your friends or your family; you should have human connections.” OpenAI also acknowledged that there is presently no empirical evidence on the long-term effects of sexually explicit AI interactions, and said it would conduct further research before making any product decisions.
What is ChatGPT ‘adult mode’
The proposed ‘adult mode’ in ChatGPT is designed to enable the chatbot to handle more mature topics with fewer restrictions, while still maintaining guardrails against harmful or illegal content. This mode was intended to offer more flexibility to the users in conversations including adult themes, but its release has been repeatedly pushed back.
OpenAI to refocus on core products
The decision comes as OpenAI moves away from what executives have called “side quests” to concentrate resources on productivity tools. The company recently announced it was winding down its Sora video generation model and a social app, aiming instead to unify offerings like ChatGPT and coding assistants into a single “super app.”Developing the adult mode posed significant hurdles. Training models to produce explicit content conflicted with earlier safety guardrails, and datasets raised risks of illegal material such as incest or bestiality. OpenAI also faced scrutiny over its age prediction system, which has an error rate of more than 10%, raising fears of underage access.
