After releasing the GPT 5.2 to compete with the Gemini 3 Pro, OpenAI plans to introduce an adult mode. The new mode will be available in the first quarter of 2026, the company confirmed at a briefing. Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications, said that the future mode will only be available to verified adult users, but declined to explain the experience’s features. Furthermore, the company revealed that it is still improving the age verification system, which will play an important role in preventing minors from accessing more mature or customised chatbot interactions.
The idea of an adult-focused ChatGPT emerged earlier this year, after CEO Sam Altman admitted that the business had purposefully limited the chatbot’s personality qualities. The tone-down came in response to growing concerns about the emotional impact of AI assistants on vulnerable users, which were exacerbated by a wrongful death lawsuit alleging ChatGPT provided harmful guidance to a teenager who later committed suicide or influenced a man to kill his mother.
In response, OpenAI implemented stricter parental restrictions and other procedures aimed at estimating a user’s age and directing them to an age-appropriate experience. The same system will act as the entry point for the more liberal adult tier.
Altman previously said that the adult mode could restore some of the expressive, creative behaviours that had been limited in prior releases. While his casual statement regarding erotica sparked great interest, he later stressed that the goal is to offer adults more control over the chatbot’s personality and tone.
However, some experts have questioned whether improving the emotional realism of AI partners is beneficial. According to a study published this year in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, adults who build emotional relationships with chatbots are more likely to experience psychological suffering.
Even OpenAI has warned that some users may become dependent on ChatGPT, raising questions about whether a customised, expressive mode may exacerbate these problems.