OpenAI shelves erotic chatbot ‘indefinitely’

OpenAI ​has paused plans to release a sexualized “adult mode” for ChatGPT, in its latest move to refocus on the company’s core ​products. According to The Financial Times, the erotic chatbot has been shelved “indefinitely” after facing pushback from employees and investors due to the problematic and harmful ​effects sexualized AI ​content can have on society.

This decision comes in the wake of OpenAI also discontinuing its text-to-video AI platform Sora, citing “internal discussion about our broader research priorities.” It’s the latest side quest to be dropped by the company after CEO Sam Altman declared a “code red” in December, suggesting that competitors like Google and Anthropic are starting to close in on the ChatGPT-maker’s once-unassailable lead.

OpenAI wants to spend more time researching the long-term effects of sexually explicit chats and emotional attachments before making a product decision, The Financial Times reports, but said there was currently no “empirical evidence.” Last week, The Wall Street Journal also reported that the adult mode had been delayed amid internal concerns surrounding moderation and safeguarding children.