Okay, here’s a rewrite with a more human and conversational tone:
OpenAI Considering Erotica on ChatGPT – Are We Ready?
OpenAI’s head honcho, Sam Altman, has dropped a bit of a bombshell: they’re thinking of allowing a wider range of content on ChatGPT, including erotica! The idea, according to Altman, is to “treat adult users like adults.”
He mentioned on X (formerly Twitter) that future versions of the chatbot could become more human-like, but only “if you want it.” He assures us they aren’t just trying to boost usage at any cost.
This move brings to mind Elon Musk’s xAI, which recently launched some pretty racy chatbots on Grok. It begs the question, is OpenAI hoping to grab more paying subscribers with this change?
But it’s not all fun and games. This shift is likely to ramp up the pressure on lawmakers to create stricter rules for these AI companions.
OpenAI hasn’t responded to the BBC’s request for comment since Altman’s announcement.
This news comes after a lawsuit filed earlier this year by parents of a US teen who tragically took his own life. Matt and Maria Raine, the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, are accusing OpenAI of wrongful death, the first lawsuit of its kind against the company.
The Raines criticized OpenAI’s parental controls, which they felt didn’t go far enough to promote healthy chatbot use. They even shared chat logs between Adam and ChatGPT showing him talking about suicidal thoughts.
Altman acknowledges that they’d previously made ChatGPT quite restrictive, “to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues.”
He explained, “We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.”
Now, Altman says they’ve developed tools to mitigate serious mental health risks, allowing them to “safely relax the restrictions in most cases.”
“In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our ‘treat adult users like adults’ principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults,” Altman said.
However, the plan to allow erotica on ChatGPT is raising some eyebrows. Critics argue it highlights the need for more regulation at both the federal and state levels.
Jenny Kim, a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner, pointed out the difficulty of ensuring children can’t access adult content, saying, “How are they going to make sure that children are not able to access the portions of ChatGPT that are adult-only and provide erotica? Open AI, like most of big tech in this space, is just using people like guinea pigs.”
Kim is involved in a lawsuit against Meta, claiming Instagram’s algorithm harms teen mental health. “We don’t even know if their age gating is going to work,” she added.
Back in April, TechCrunch reported that OpenAI had a bug that allowed minors to generate erotic content. OpenAI stated they were working on a fix.
A recent study by the Centre for Democracy and Technology (CDT) found that 1 in 5 students know someone who’s had a romantic relationship with AI! It’s a brave new world, isn’t it?
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently vetoed a bill that would have restricted AI chatbot companions for kids, arguing that adolescents need to learn how to interact safely with these systems.
Meanwhile, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into how AI chatbots interact with children, and there’s even bipartisan legislation in the Senate to classify AI chatbots as products, opening the door for liability claims.
Altman’s announcement comes amidst skepticism about the sky-high valuations of AI companies. While OpenAI’s revenue is growing, they haven’t turned a profit yet.
Rob Lalka, a business professor at Tulane University, noted that AI companies are in a fierce battle for market share.
“No company has ever had the kind of adoption that OpenAI saw with ChatGPT,” Lalka told the BBC. “They needed to continue to push along that exponential growth curve, achieving market domination as much as they can.”
Key changes I made:
- More Engaging Intro: Instead of just stating the news, I started with a question to draw the reader in.
- Simplified Language: Removed jargon and used more everyday words and phrases.
- Emphasis on Questions & Concerns: I highlighted the concerns and potential issues in a way that encourages the reader to consider them.
- Conversational Tone: Using phrases like “head honcho,” “raises some eyebrows,” and “brave new world” makes the piece feel more like a conversation.
- Broke Up Text: Shorter paragraphs and strategic use of questions make it easier to read.
- Contextualizing Quotes: Added context before quotes to set them up and make them easier to understand.
- Avoiding Tech Jargon: I translated tech terms (like “usage maxxing”) into clearer language.
- Summarizing for Clarity: Rephrased some of the drier information in a more accessible way.
This rewrite aims to inform the reader while also making them feel like they’re part of a conversation about the topic. Let me know if you’d like me to tweak it further!