OpenAI has "indefinitely" shelved plans to come out with an erotic mode on ChatGPT after abruptly closing its Sora video platform.
Initially, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman proposed the idea of having the "adult mode" in October last year to further expand user engagement. It is being said that the project never took off amid concerns over the safety and ethical implications of sexualised AI content on society, from staff and investors, the Financial Times reported.
At present, the company is refocusing on improvement to its core products and looking forward to conducting long-term research on the effects of sexually explicit content as well as emotional attachments before moving ahead in the market.
Multiple people familiar with the matter told FT that the company had already delayed the release of its “adult mode” in the wake of internal discussions over whether to scrap the model entirely.
The project faced major pushback over "how it could encourage unhealthy attachments to AI systems and expose minors to problematic sexual content," the report added.
Last year, Altman said OpenAI was "not the elected moral police of the world," adding that the company was ready to allow "more user freedom for adults". This came after it largely put a ban on mature content.
Acknowledging that there was no “empirical evidence” at present, the company said it wanted to conduct long-term research on the effects of sexually explicit chats and emotional attachments before making the decision regarding the product.
Since the rise of generative AI in 2022, sexual content has emerged as a major driver of the technology. Grok earlier took the lead in the domain when it came out with animated AI characters and a chatbot that engages in sexually mature conversations with users. However, it was heavily criticised after people started generating non-consensual and indecent media targeting women.
Also Read: OpenAI Set To Raise $10 Billion From MGX, Coatue, Thrive
Meanwhile, this is the latest from OpenAI to drop what executives have termed “side quests” in favour of devoting resources to productivity tools.
OpenAI Shuts Sora
On Wednesday, OpenAI unexpectedly announced the shutdown of both the Sora consumer app and the internet-based platform, which professionals installed to generate videos.
The company informed that the decision was taken to focus on other developments, such as robotics, "that will help people solve real-world, physical tasks". This came after the AI video generator faced criticism for a deluge of AI 'slop' videos on social media, since it was introduced in 2024.
Also Read: OpenAI Discontinues Support For Sora, Winds Down Disney Deal
In December last year, Disney signed a three-year deal with OpenAI that allowed Sora users to create AAI videos with popular Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Yoda from Star Wars. Post OpenAI's decision, The Walt Disney Company informed that it is now engaging with other AI platforms.
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