OpenAI is giving up another side quest: ChatGPT’s Exciting Mode

OpenAI has put the kibosh on another project, at least for now. On Thursday, the Financial Times reported that the AI ​​company would pause its plans “indefinitely” to develop an “exciting” mode for ChatGPT.

The proposed “adult mode,” which was first floated by CEO Sam Altman in October, has sparked significant controversy from technology watchdog groups as well as from OpenAI employees. In January, a meeting between the company’s executives and its board of advisors became heated, with one advisor warning that OpenAI may be in the process of developing a “sexy suicide coach,” the Wall Street Journal previously reported.

Amidst all the criticism, the feature’s release has been delayed several times.

FT reports that the exciting feature now has no release schedule. When reached by TechCrunch for comment, an OpenAI spokesperson said the company had “nothing to add.”

Adult Mode is just the latest side quest that OpenAI has abandoned over the past week as the AI ​​giant ramps up its focus. On Tuesday, the company quietly announced that it would deprioritize Instant Checkout, a feature within ChatGPT that sought to make the chatbot a purchasing portal where users can purchase items from e-commerce sites. Then, on Wednesday, the company surprisingly announced that it was shutting down Sora, its AI-powered video generator. Sora has been criticized for inspiring the flood of artificial intelligence that has flooded the internet since its launch in 2024.

All the changes come about a week after the Wall Street Journal announced that OpenAI would engage in a “major strategic shift” to move the company away from distractions so it can focus on its core focus: business users and coders.

Why did OpenAI choose this particular moment to eliminate distractions and closure? Perhaps that’s because it was feeling pressure from Anthropic, which has launched a series of programming and business tools over the past few months — and seen huge success in attracting customers as a result.

The two companies have also been in a public dispute over Pentagon contracts — a battle that OpenAI appears to have won. Three weeks ago, it announced a $200 million agreement with the Department of Defense, while Anthropic is now locked in a legal battle with the agency.

In short, it seems that if recent developments tell us anything, the future of AI may be less about porn and memes than about business and war.