OpenAI has put the kibosh on yet another project, at least for the time being. On Thursday, the Financial Times reported that the AI company is suspending plans to develop an “erotic” mode for ChatGPT “indefinitely.”
The idea of an “adult mode”, first proposed by CEO Sam Altman in October, generated considerable controversy from technology watchdog groups and OpenAI’s own staff. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that a heated meeting between company executives and its board of advisors in January led to one advisor warning that OpenAI may be developing a “sexy suicide coach.”
Amid all the criticism, the release of this feature was delayed multiple times.
FT points out that the erotic feature has no release plans at this time. When reached for comment by TechCrunch, an OpenAI spokesperson said the company had “nothing further to add.”
Adult mode is just the latest side quest that OpenAI has abandoned over the past week as the AI giant ramps up its focus. The company quietly announced on Tuesday that it would deprioritize Instant Checkout, a feature within ChatGPT that aims to turn chatbots into purchasing portals that allow users to buy products from e-commerce websites. And on Wednesday, the company surprisingly announced it was shutting down Sora, its AI video generator. Sora had been criticized for sparking a flood of AI “slop” that flooded the internet since its launch in 2024.
All of these changes come about a week after the Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI would be undertaking a “major strategic shift” to reorient the company away from distractions so it can focus on its main focus: business users and programmers.
Why did OpenAI choose this particular moment to cut out distractions and lock in? Maybe it’s because it’s feeling the heat from Anthropic, which has doggedly released a suite of coding and business tools over the past few months and has had great success in attracting customers as a result.
The two companies are in a public battle over contracts with the Department of Defense, and OpenAI appears to have won the battle. Three weeks ago, the company announced a $200 million agreement with the Pentagon, but Anthropic is currently embroiled in a legal battle with the Pentagon.
In short, if recent developments tell us anything, it seems that the future of AI will probably be less about pornography and memes, and more about business and war.
