Overview
- OpenAI said plans for a sexually explicit chat feature are on hold without a timeline for release.
- The feature, known inside the company as Citron, faced pushback from staff and investors, according to the Financial Times.
- OpenAI told the FT it will run long-term research on explicit conversations and user attachments before making any product decision.
- The same week, the company moved to wind down its Sora text-to-video effort as it concentrates work on a single, unified AI platform, as reported by AFP and Decrypt.
- Regulatory and safety pressures form the backdrop, with an FTC inquiry into chatbot effects on children, lawsuits from families citing teen harms, behavior-based age checks in place, and advisers warning erotic chats could fuel unhealthy dependence.