OpenAI has stopped work on a planned ‘adult mode’ for ChatGPT, shelving the project for the foreseeable future. The company confirmed the decision, first reported by The Financial Times, stating it will instead concentrate resources on its primary product lines. Internal sources cited employee and investor apprehension, specifically regarding the potential societal impact of AI-generated sexual content.

The move follows a similar recent halt to the Sora video generation project, part of a broader strategic narrowing for the AI lab. In December, CEO Sam Altman signaled a heightened competitive environment, noting advances by rivals like Google and Anthropic. This has prompted a refocus on core technologies.

According to reports, OpenAI intends to study the long-term implications of sexually explicit AI interactions and the formation of user attachments before any potential product launch. Company officials noted a current lack of concrete data on these effects. The delay also stems from unresolved technical and policy challenges related to content moderation and preventing access by minors, as detailed in a separate Wall Street Journal report last week.

Source: The Verge