Age-Gating Debut: Chatgpt'S New Adults-Only Feature Sparks Debate

ChatGPT's Bold New Move

ChatGPT is gearing up to launch adult-restricted features next month, stirring fresh debates over the efficacy of age verification measures. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, a key figure behind the platform, has hinted at updates that might let verified adults engage in romantic or sexual conversations. "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 shared in a post on X.

Concerns Over Age Verification

Amidst these updates, the Shadow Communications Minister Melissa McIntosh has voiced skepticism about the recently proposed under-16 social media ban. This follows a legal challenge by the Digital Freedom Project aimed at halting the new legislation. Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech commented on the development, noting, "We all know that the internet is rife with adult content, and ChatGPT I think, is looking to address that section of our society. They want to cash in on that popularity on their platform as well."

“This is going to be a real challenge, I think there are going to be attempts by younger people to get around those social media rules, and of course maybe even attempts for younger people to get around the ChatGPT restrictions as well,” said Mr Fenech.

Australia's New Social Media Rules

The rollout of these adult-only features coincides with Australia's formal ban on under-16s using social media. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells faced questions from teenagers at a recent press conference about this impending policy. Questions regarding how fake accounts would be handled were met with Albanese's assertion that "The responsibility is on the social media companies." Under these new rules, tech platforms face hefty fines if they fail to take "reasonable steps" to prevent under-16s from creating accounts.

Balancing Act

Melissa McIntosh emphasized the complexity of balancing safety and data privacy with effective age verification. "It's such a difficult balance," she told Sky News Australia. "I think the age verification technology that's in place now… it's potentially too rushed, and even speaking to the platforms, they're a bit concerned about it and a lot of the platforms are outsourcing that technology to third-party providers, and then where's that data being stored?"

Adding to the conversation, a recent YouGov survey highlighted that one in five Australians has opened up or been emotionally vulnerable with an AI Chatbot, while one in seven people could imagine themselves falling in love with one. These findings underscore the nuanced relationship between humans and AI as technology continues to evolve.