ChatGPT has been in a bit of hot water lately, with some calling for stronger safeguards to be in place after a a teen’s death earlier this year. The family of the teen sued OpenAI followed the tragedy, and that case has helped herald in a slew of changes, from new parental controls to OpenAI even outlining how it monitors ChatGPT chats to help keep people safe.
Since launching the new safeguards, though, some ChatGPT have been criticizing how restrictive the AI chatbot has become. Some have even gone so far as to cancel their subscription outright because of the changes. Now, though, it seems OpenAI intends to walk back some of those “controversial” changes.
In a new post shared to X this week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote, “We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.” He continued by noting that now that the company has mitigated those issues, and new tools have been implemented, the team is looking at bringing a less restrictive version of ChatGPT to people who want it.
What does a less restrictive ChatGPT look like?
If you’re curious exactly what Altman means by his statement, then you’re not alone. It’s a very vague comment on its own. However, Altman did provide additional details, noting that in December, once the age-gating features are more fully in place, the team plans to offer a version of ChatGPT that can even be used to write erotica — though it will require verified adult status on the account being used.
Of course, that particular line also drew some comments from users, with one even asking, “why do age-gates always have to lead to erotica?” To which Altman responded: “You won’t get it unless you ask for it.” Which is good to know, as it means you can still use ChatGPT however you want without its responses taking a turn you might not have expected.
Exactly how many restrictions OpenAI plans to lift is still unclear, though it does sound like this new version of ChatGPT will offer more of the friendly and more believable personality that people loved about older versions of the AI chatbot. From the sounds of it, Altman and the team at OpenAI want to find a good middle ground by protecting users more effectively while also giving ChatGPT users the useful features and access that they have come to expect over the past few years.
