Indian-American Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy voiced concern over OpenAI’s decision to add an “Adult Mode” to ChatGPT, warning that the feature could create new risks of emotional and sexual exploitation through artificial intelligence.
The former US presidential candidate described the company’s direction as “worrying,” arguing that such tools might do more harm than good by encouraging dependence and isolation rather than enhancing productivity or well-being.
“The unnecessary over-humanisation of AI is becoming troubling,” Ramaswamy wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “This new ‘feature’ will do nothing to improve productivity or prosperity. But it will almost certainly increase addiction and loneliness. I don’t think government intervention will make it any better, but designing AI with the specific capability to sexually or emotionally manipulate humans warrants extreme caution.”
He added that while some level of policy oversight could become necessary, it might not be enough to manage the deeper ethical and social implications of this kind of technology.
Ramaswamy’s post came shortly after OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman revealed that ChatGPT would begin offering age-restricted access from December. The update, Altman said, would allow verified adult users to experience conversations that are more emotionally expressive and could include erotic or intimate content.
In a statement shared on X, Altman explained that the change was part of a broader effort to give adult users more freedom in shaping how ChatGPT interacts with them. “If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it (but only if you want it, not because we are usage-maxxing). 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.
According to OpenAI, the update is intended to make the chatbot more flexible in responding to adults who use it for emotional support or nuanced communication, including those experiencing distress. However, the announcement has divided opinion across the technology sector and among ethicists.
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