Overview
- Sam Altman said ChatGPT will permit erotic content for verified adults with a broader age‑gating system rolling out in December, later stressing that mental‑health guardrails will remain.
- Advocacy groups and experts, including the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, warn of addiction, depression risks and question whether age verification can reliably keep minors out.
- The Federal Trade Commission has opened an inquiry into leading chatbot developers on harms to children and teens, and multiple states are moving to require stricter age verification online.
- OpenAI has introduced parental controls, teen‑specific guardrails and an age‑prediction system, and it formed a mental‑health advisory council as it explores more personalized, friend‑like chatbot behavior.
- Separately, Google CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged OpenAI for launching ChatGPT first, said the debut triggered a ‘code red’ at Google, and noted the company delayed its own release over reputational risk before rolling out Bard, now Gemini, in March 2023.