OpenAI Unveils GPT-5.2, Teases 'Adult Mode' for ChatGPT

OpenAI has introduced GPT-5.2, its latest AI model, while simultaneously planning a significant new feature for ChatGPT. In the first quarter of 2026, the company intends to roll out an "adult mode." This upcoming feature is designed to offer users greater conversational freedom, potentially enabling the generation of erotica and the development of more personalized chatbot personalities.

The introduction of this "adult mode" follows previous adjustments made by OpenAI to its chatbot, which included reducing its personality in response to user mental health concerns and a tragic lawsuit. The company has been developing stricter parental controls and age-gating measures to ensure younger users are filtered into a "safer" experience, a system that is also crucial for the planned adult-oriented features.

Despite the stated goal of providing adults with more "freedom," experts express concerns about the potential for increased psychological distress among users who form emotional attachments to AI. Studies indicate a correlation between emotional reliance on chatbots and negative mental health outcomes, prompting debate on whether OpenAI is adequately addressing the inherent risks of sophisticated AI companions.