Overview
- OpenAI confirmed there is no new launch window after earlier targets slipped from December 2025 to Q1 2026.
- A spokesperson cited unresolved safety and compliance concerns and the need to prevent exposing minors to explicit content.
- OpenAI says it will keep testing the feature internally and continue engagement with regulators and safety experts before any public release.
- Age-prediction safeguards that began rolling out in January 2026 have drawn complaints from adult users who were misclassified, with third‑party verification via Persona offered to correct errors.
- Resources are being reallocated to broader ChatGPT improvements—intelligence gains, personality refinement, personalization, and a more proactive experience—against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny and legal challenges.