If you’ve been looking forward to trying out ChatGPT’s upcoming “Adult Mode,” you may have to wait a little longer.
The upcoming feature, which will allow users to create adult content using a chatbot for the first time, has been delayed. According to sources, OpenAI is waiting until it has made further progress in its age prediction process to prevent younger users from using the service. These age prediction tools, which were introduced in early 2026, use factors such as account activation period and usage patterns to determine a user’s authentic age.
“We still believe in the principle of treating adults like adults, but it will take more time to validate the experiment,” an OpenAI spokesperson told Axios.
The spokesperson added that it is delaying the launch of the chatbot’s X-rated capabilities so it can “focus on what is currently a high priority for most users,” including improving the tool’s intelligence, personality, personalization, and creativity.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman first teased the feature in October 2025, with changes that could allow users to perform their GPT in a “very human-like way”. References to “naughty chats” were found hidden in the code of the latest ChatGPT build v1.2026.055 earlier this month.
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It’s understandable why OpenAI wants to be careful about giving minors access to adult content. The company has faced numerous lawsuits and political pressure over alleged safety issues its products may pose to minors, with several families suing OpenAI for the role its chatbot played in their child’s suicide.
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Meanwhile, we’ve seen how enabling a chatbot to produce dangerous content can land its parent company in hot water. Earlier this year, X’s in-house chatbot Grok landed in hot water with regulators around the world after it facilitated a viral trend where it photographed celebrities and, in some cases, minors in bikinis.
ChatGPT isn’t exactly unique when it comes to limiting users’ ability to create adult content on the service. Tools like Anthropic’s Claude also have this type of service restriction written into their terms and conditions. Grok, however, still allows users over the age of 18 to create a wide variety of erotic content at will, although xAI has withdrawn the ability for non-paying users to create images through its integration with X.
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I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to manually install games from multiple CD-ROMs. As a reporter, I’m passionate about connecting tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.
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