OpenAI has halted yet another initiative — at least temporarily. On Thursday, the Financial Times disclosed that the AI organization would be pausing plans to create an “erotic” version of ChatGPT “indefinitely.”
The suggested “adult mode,” initially proposed by CEO Sam Altman in October, stirred significant controversy among technology oversight groups and even within OpenAI’s own team. In January, a discussion between company leaders and their advisory council became intense, with one adviser warning that OpenAI could be on the brink of developing a “sexy suicide coach,” as reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal.
In light of all the backlash, the launch of the feature faced several delays.
FT mentions that there is currently no schedule for the erotic feature’s release. When approached for comments by TechCrunch, an OpenAI representative stated that the company had “nothing more to add.”
Adult mode is merely the latest endeavor that OpenAI has shelved in recent days as the AI behemoth sharpens its focus. On Tuesday, the firm discreetly revealed it would be deprioritizing Instant Checkout, a feature in ChatGPT aimed at transforming the chatbot into a purchasing platform for items from e-commerce sites. Following that, on Wednesday, the company unexpectedly announced the closure of Sora, its AI video generator, which had faced criticism for contributing to the surge of low-quality AI content online since its debut in 2024.
These adjustments come about a week after The Wall Street Journal reported OpenAI would embark on a “significant strategy shift” to move away from diversions in order to concentrate on its core objectives: business clientele and programmers.
Why has OpenAI chosen to eliminate distractions at this specific time? It may be responding to pressure from Anthropic, which has been diligently launching a range of coding and business tools in recent months — and has achieved notable success in attracting customers as a consequence.
The two firms have also been openly clashing over Pentagon contracts — a contest that seems to have favored OpenAI. Three weeks prior, it announced a $200 million deal with the Department of Defense, while Anthropic is currently embroiled in a legal struggle with the agency.
In summary, if recent events indicate anything, the trajectory of AI appears to be shifting away from adult content and memes toward a focus on business and defense.