ChatGPT’s ‘Adult Mode’ Confirmed for Early 2026 Launch Alongside GPT-5.2

OpenAI announces a concrete timeline for its long-rumoured NSFW content feature, but its release hinges on the successful deployment of a crucial user age verification system.

The announcement was made during a recent briefing on GPT-5.2 by Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of Applications. This move comes as industry pressure intensifies, with competitors like Grok already embracing more relaxed content policies.

The Critical Age Verification Hurdle

While the Q1 2026 target is set, the activation of the Adult Mode is dependent on the flawless operation of a critical underlying technology: user age estimation.

OpenAI's priority is ensuring its new model for automatically estimating a user's age achieves the necessary accuracy levels. Simo indicated that this model is currently in its early testing phase, undergoing limited trials across various countries.

• Priority: The core focus is on reliably identifying users under the age of 18 to prevent access to mature content.
• Accuracy: Equally important is avoiding the false classification of legitimate adult users.

The company is committed to strengthening its safety standards even as it prepares to meet rising user demand for more permissive content generation.

Beyond Erotica: A More Liberated Interaction

Although the term "Adult Mode" often becomes synonymous with erotic content generation, previous statements from CEO Sam Altman clarify the broader vision.

Altman had previously implied that the goal is not solely to produce explicit content, but rather to offer adult users a more personalized and liberated interaction space. This freedom would grant adult users more creative autonomy and a less constrained conversational experience within ChatGPT.

The move to introduce a designated Adult Mode suggests a strategy to satisfy user demand for less restricted content while keeping the default ChatGPT experience safe and adhering to stricter guidelines. This dual-model approach aims to cater to different user demographics while maintaining the company’s reputation for safety and responsible AI development.