Sam Altman says OpenAI isn't 'moral police of the world'

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Wednesday that the company is "not the elected moral police of the world" after receiving backlash over his decision to loosen restrictions and allow content like erotica within its chatbot ChatGPT.

The artificial intelligence startup has expanded its safety controls in recent months as it faced mounting scrutiny over how it protects users, particularly minors.

But Altman said Tuesday in a post on X that OpenAI will be able to "safely relax" most restrictions now that it has been able to mitigate "serious mental health issues."

In December, Altman said it will allow more content, including erotica, on ChatGPT.

Altman tried to clarify the move in a post on X on Wednesday, saying OpenAI cares "very much about the principle of treating adult users like adults," but it will still not allow "things that cause harm to others."

"In the same way that society differentiates other appropriate boundaries (R-rated movies, for example) we want to do a similar thing here," Atlman wrote.