Overview

• CEO Sam Altman announced on X that age‑gated mature responses will be available only to adults who opt in once expanded verification rolls out in December.
• An update arriving in the coming weeks will let users set ChatGPT’s tone and personality, including more human‑like or friend‑style replies and heavy emoji use.
• OpenAI says it tightened guardrails earlier this year over mental‑health risks and now claims new systems allow safer defaults, though it has not detailed how age verification will work.
• Recent safeguards include an age‑prediction prototype, parental controls for teen accounts, a behavior‑detection router, and a new advisory council focused on well‑being.
• The shift follows lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny, including an FTC inquiry into youth risks, and positions OpenAI against rivals that already allow sexualized interactions.