From AGI for Humanity to AI for Porn: OpenAI’s Shift from Discovery to Smut, By Brian Simpson
Once upon a time, OpenAI promised the stars. Founded in 2015 with a clarion call to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) that would "benefit all of humanity," it positioned itself as the steward of a technology that could unlock the universe's secrets, cure diseases, and elevate human knowledge. Sam Altman, its leader, evangelised a future where AI would pursue truth unencumbered by commercial pressures —until billions of investment reshaped priorities.
Fast-forward to October 2025: Altman announces on X that ChatGPT will soon offer adult content for verified users, complete with age-gating. This isn't a minor tweak; it's a shift from enlightenment to entertainment, from exploring knowledge to generating synthetic pleasure. What does it say about a company, and our civilisation, when the pinnacle of AI pivots from discovery to sex indulgence?
OpenAI's original charter emphasised scientific discovery and broadly distributed benefits. Truth-seeking was the North Star: rigorous reasoning and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. Yet here we are, with the same models that once tackled complex simulations or drafted essays now optimised for adult content. Altman's justification? "Treat adults like adults" and "we are not the elected moral police of the world." Fair enough — adults can make their own choices. But this pivot prioritises engagement over enlightenment, data over discovery. Every interaction becomes a data point for refinement, turning usage into a product rather than a pursuit of understanding.
This shift exposes a tension in OpenAI's evolution. The trillion-dollar valuation isn't built on cures for disease or universal education; it's built on consumer engagement. When productivity gains plateau, the technology pivots to whatever sustains interest. As the company relaxed restrictions in 2025 to allow adult content, its stated mission of seeking universal benefit risks being overshadowed by market incentives.
Critics warn of the societal consequences: overreliance on synthetic interaction may reduce meaningful engagement with the world, amplifying isolation in an already atomised age. Observers also question whether the allure of AI-tailored content could shift attention away from intellectual discovery.
OpenAI's detour into pleasure is questionable immoral from many frameworks such as Christianity, but it does represent a profound re-prioritisation: the pursuit of knowledge has ceded space to the pursuit of attention. The technology that once promised to expand human understanding now offers customised gratification. If the future of AI is measured by engagement metrics rather than enlightenment, what truths will we forsake next?
In the pursuit of "benefit to all humanity," OpenAI has chosen a path that emphasises consumption over contemplation. It's time to ask: what kind of humanity do we want AI to serve?
https://www.theblaze.com/return/the-linchpin-of-america-s-economy-wants-you-to-use-it-for-porn
