HomeOpenAI abandons ChatGPT's erotic mode, another side quest dropped
OpenAI has shelved yet another initiative — at least for now. The Financial Times reported on Thursday that the AI company plans to "indefinitely" pause development of an "erotic" mode for ChatGPT.
The proposed "adult mode," first mentioned by CEO Sam Altman in October, sparked significant backlash from tech watchdog groups and OpenAI's own employees. In January, a meeting between company executives and its advisory council became tense, with one advisor warning that OpenAI might be building a "sexy suicide coach," according to a previous Wall Street Journal report.
Amid the criticism, the feature's release was postponed multiple times.
FT notes that no timeline now exists for the erotic feature's release. When contacted by TechCrunch for comment, an OpenAI spokesperson said the company had "nothing further to add."
Adult mode is just the latest side project OpenAI has dropped over the past week as the AI giant sharpens its focus. On Tuesday, the company quietly announced it would deprioritize Instant Checkout, a ChatGPT feature aimed at turning the chatbot into a purchase portal where users could buy items from e-commerce sites. Then, on Wednesday, the company unexpectedly announced it would shut down Sora, its AI video generator. Sora had faced criticism for fueling the flood of AI-generated "slop" that has inundated the internet since its 2024 launch.
All these changes come about a week after the Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI was undertaking a "major strategy shift" to steer the company away from distractions and focus on its core priorities: business users and coders.
Why has OpenAI chosen this moment to eliminate distractions and lock in? Perhaps because it's feeling pressure from Anthropic, which has aggressively released a series of coding and business tools over the past few months — and has seen substantial success in attracting customers as a result.
The two companies have also been openly competing over Pentagon contracts — a battle OpenAI appears to have won. Three weeks ago, it announced a $200 million agreement with the Department of Defense, while Anthropic is now locked in a legal dispute with the agency.
In short, if recent developments are any indication, the future of AI seems less about pornography and memes and more about business and warfare.
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OpenAI has shelved yet another initiative — at least for now. The Financial Times reported on Thursday that the AI company plans to "indefinitely" pause development of an "erotic" mode for ChatGPT.
The proposed "adult mode," first mentioned by CEO Sam Altman in October, sparked significant backlash from tech watchdog groups and OpenAI's own employees. In January, a meeting between company executives and its advisory council became tense, with one advisor warning that OpenAI might be building a "sexy suicide coach," according to a previous Wall Street Journal report.
Amid the criticism, the feature's release was postponed multiple times.
FT notes that no timeline now exists for the erotic feature's release. When contacted by TechCrunch for comment, an OpenAI spokesperson said the company had "nothing further to add."
Adult mode is just the latest side project OpenAI has dropped over the past week as the AI giant sharpens its focus. On Tuesday, the company quietly announced it would deprioritize Instant Checkout, a ChatGPT feature aimed at turning the chatbot into a purchase portal where users could buy items from e-commerce sites. Then, on Wednesday, the company unexpectedly announced it would shut down Sora, its AI video generator. Sora had faced criticism for fueling the flood of AI-generated "slop" that has inundated the internet since its 2024 launch.
All these changes come about a week after the Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI was undertaking a "major strategy shift" to steer the company away from distractions and focus on its core priorities: business users and coders.
Why has OpenAI chosen this moment to eliminate distractions and lock in? Perhaps because it's feeling pressure from Anthropic, which has aggressively released a series of coding and business tools over the past few months — and has seen substantial success in attracting customers as a result.
The two companies have also been openly competing over Pentagon contracts — a battle OpenAI appears to have won. Three weeks ago, it announced a $200 million agreement with the Department of Defense, while Anthropic is now locked in a legal dispute with the agency.
In short, if recent developments are any indication, the future of AI seems less about pornography and memes and more about business and warfare.
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